Queensland Election 2017: Robbie Katter ready to play the kingmaker

THE prospect of Robbie Katter playing kingmaker after this weekend’s election cannot be ruled out, writes Steven Wardill.

Robbie Katter MP at Parliament House in Brisbane. File picture

THE prospect of Robbie Katter playing kingmaker after this weekend’s election cannot be ruled out.

Katter, the son of Bob, is such a safe bet to win his vast western Queensland electorate that the major parties haven’t even visited the area.

His running mate, Shane Knuth, is expected to win the newly created seat of Hill with the LNP despondent about its prospects.

The Katters are also talking up their chances in the conservative stronghold of Warrego.

With two, possibly three, MPs after this Saturday’s election, the Katter crew could be hugely influential after this election, which is proving difficult to pick.

If Labor can’t win enough urban electorates to replace regional losses, Annastacia Palaszczuk will fall short of the 47 seats she needs form a majority.

The LNP are highly unlikely to get government in their own right unless there’s an extraordinary flow of preferences in their favour.

And while One Nation will be a force, the switch to compulsory preferential voting in concert with Labor’s decision to place the party last on how-to-vote cards will hinder their ability to win seats.

That could put Katter’s Australian Party in a prime position if Labor falls short and the LNP and One Nation don’t have the numbers between them.

Many assume KAP would instantly sign up with the conservatives given the party’s rural roots.

However, some of Katter’s core positions align more closely with Labor.

There’s also no love lost between Knuth and senior members of the LNP, the party he defected from in 2011 after Campbell Newman became leader.

While KAP denounces Labor in the regions, the pair has worked closely in Parliament during Palaszczuk’s minority rule.

Despite Palaszczuk’s “no deals” declaration, Katter throwing his hat in the ring with Labor is still a possibility.

Originally published as Queensland Election 2017: Robbie Katter ready to play the kingmaker