Palaszczuk Government is running scared, says KAP
QUEENSLAND MP Robbie Katter says he will take Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to strip his party of its extra resources as a sign Katter’s Australian Party had the major parties running scared.
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QUEENSLAND MP Robbie Katter says he will take Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to strip his party of its extra resources as a sign Katter’s Australian Party had the major parties running scared.
Ms Palaszczuk yesterday revealed she would strip the party of its three parliamentary staff and two extra electorate officers following KAP Senator Fraser Anning’s contentious maiden speech in Federal Parliament.
“We have the right to free speech in our parliaments but that free speech is not free of consequence,” the Premier said when announcing her decision at the Queensland Labor state conference yesterday.
“I am withdrawing the additional staff I granted to the Katter’s Australian Party because it tolerates the intolerable and defends the indefensible.”
The staff were awarded to KAP by Ms Palaszczuk during last term’s hung Parliament, but the Premier committed to reviewing them following a push from the LNP in Parliament last month.
Mr Katter yesterday said he was not surprised by the Premier’s decision.
“We expected this. If we are doing our job properly, the majors want to kill us,” Mr Katter said.
“We will be calling on the public to donate so we can continue to fight regardless of the majors.”
Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said the Government only acted after the LNP “shamed” them into it.
Ms Palaszczuk used her speech to the Labor conference yesterday to confirm she would also be calling for an inquiry into end-of-life care – including euthanasia – before the year is out.
“I too have watched my own family suffer,” she said.
“This is an issue we must confront.”
And she announced another review of the public service, to be conducted by former Cabinet Secretary Peter Bridgman.
Details were scant on exactly what that review would be looking at, but it is understood it will include a review of the Public Service Act.
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