Federal Election 2022: Nationals MP Kevin Hogan heckled by voters in Casino

A Nationals MP was heckled by a crowd of nearly 100 voters in his electorate over a question on fracking. Watch the video.

Kevin Hogan was asked about his government’s support of fracking the Beetaloo Basin and his answer didn’t please his voters as the fourth week of the federal election kicked off.

The Nationals MP for Page received a torrent of heckles including one person storming out while shouting “You were never going to answer the question Hogan!”.

The Page MP was alongside eight other candidates for his seat at a lively forum in the Casino RSM Club in his electorate on Sunday.

After a four minute introduction by each candidate questions from the crowd were directed at Hogan and Labor’s candidate Patrick Deegan.

A resident asked if the candidates accept that climate change made the “Richmond valley floods larger” before directing a question to Hogan saying “why did you vote to give taxpayer money to help the fracking of Beetaloo Basin?”

Page MP Kevin Hogan was heckled after refusing to answer a question about the Beetaloo Basin Picture: Cath Piltz.

Both Deegan and Hogan said that climate change was increasing the severity and regularity of the natural disasters that have occured in the last few years but Hogan sat down without referring to the Beetaloo Basin.

Greens NSW senate candidate Sue Higginson, who was filling in for Page candidate Kashmir Miller - who has Covid-19- intervened and stepped up to the microphone.

“I thought (the) question to Kevin was about tax subsidies that have been announced to support the fracking of the Beetaloo Basin -contrary to all First Nations wishes -and we haven’t had that answer,” she said.

Australian Labor Party candidate for Page Patrick Deegan. Picture Cath Piltz

Hogan stepped back up to the microphone and said he would take “some of that question on notice” before beginning an answer which referred to diesel fuel rebates for regular Australians.

“There are fuel rebates given to mining companies for the diesel fuel rebate,” he said.

“So anyone who uses diesel when you buy diesel and you don’t use it for on-road, you get a rebate because you don’t pay the diesel on-road tax,” Hogan said.

The Nationals MP was interrupted by hecklers who felt he was dodging the question about the Beetaloo Basin.

He continued: “I’ve lost my train of thought, I thought we were having no heckling by the way Scott (the moderator) but anyway, the rest of that question I’ll take on notice”.

The comments caused anger in the crowd who voiced their displeasure at the Nationals MP refusing to answer the question with a man storming out yelling “I’ve done my job”, referring to action on climate change.

Residents began yelling after the moderator said “Kevin is happy to address that question online”.

The federal government announced $21 million in grants for the Beetaloo fracking project with Imperial Oil and Empire Energy but the grants were ruled invalid by the Federal Court in July last year.

Resources minister Keith Pitt announced in February that $19.4 million in grants was to be spent to open up fracking in the Northern Territory.