Robbie Katter seeks legal advice on Premier’s staff cut

KATTER’S Australian Party feels it has “very strong grounds” to report Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to the state’s corruption watchdog.

QUEENSLAND’S three Katter’s Australian Party MPs are seeking legal advice, and say they may refer Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to the Crime and Corruption Commission over her decision to cut their extra staff.

Ms Palaszczuk insists she has done nothing wrong.

Labor ‘running scared’

Premier pulls funding

KAP state leader Robbie Katter today came out swinging against the Premier’s decision to cut the five extra staff afforded the minor party during last year’s hung parliament, because he and fellow Katter MPs Shane Knuth and Nick Dametto would not denounce senator Fraser Anning’s contentious “final solution” immigration speech.

“An officer in government cannot intimidate you or threaten you in any way, particularly with financial resources, and the Premier has specifically done that,” Mr Katter alleged.

“She said in Parliament that unless you change your position on this issue, I will remove those resources.

“We are currently taking advice, and we feel there are very strong grounds there.”

KAP is investigating whether the Premier breached sections of the Criminal Code regarding attempts to influence an MP.

Ms Palaszczuk has staunchly rejected their allegations.

“I’m not worried about that at all,” she said.

“Arrangements were put in place with the Katter Party, which is normal for minority governments.

“We are a majority government, and I made my views very clear.

“It’s not in breach. It is totally at my discretion.

“Everything has been done within the guidelines.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the Labor state conference at the weekend. Picture: Ric Frearson/AAP

KAP state leader Robbie Katter today. Picture: John Gass/AAP

When asked if she was trying to bully or intimidate the Katter MPs by withdrawing their resources, the Premier responded: “No, not at all.”

University of Queensland professor of law Graeme Orr said that on the face of it, the Premier’s actions did not amount to a breach of the Criminal Code.

“On the broader policy front, there may be exceptional cases where one small party may need more resources,” he said.

“But this stoush shows the problems with making ad hoc deals.

“If the funding was to be undone, it should have been on the basis that we are no longer in a hung parliament.

“That said, the administration is entitled to give and to take away and that is not legal intimidation.

“I can see why the Katter Party is upset, but it is certainly not a matter for the courts.”

Mr Katter said the extra staff — which cost about $500,000 a year — had been offered during the negotiations over who would form office following the 2015 state election, with both Labor and the LNP putting forward the deal.

Ms Palaszczuk announced they would be withdrawn during a speech to the Queensland Labor state conference yesterday.

She acted after the LNP asked her if she would take away the staff following Senator Anning’s speech, in which he used the Nazi phrase “final solution” while referring to immigration policy.