Former Mayor’s attack of unchallenged KAP leader’s performance

As the election approaches, Traeger MP Robbie Katter has acknowledged criticisms about his absence in his hometown and knows he can’t take his role for granted, even with no opponents currently vying for his seat.

Traeger MP Robbie Katter bought his own plane, and he claimed that it cost $50,000 to learn how to fly. He did this to represent his large electorate, which covers 12 local government areas. Picture: Evan Morgan

Former Mount Isa mayor Danielle Slade has slammed the currently unchallenged Traeger MP’s performance, accusing him of being “missing in action” at crucial times and warning that “he needs to step up.”

Ms Slade was defeated after a “huge and bitter” local government election in March after a lengthy and ugly feud between herself and her six Mount Isa City councillors.

Neither she nor Mr Katter had forgotten about the criticism he posted on social media against her leadership leading up to the election.

With less than three months to go until the state election there are no other candidates openly pitted against Mr Katter.

Ms Slade was a Labor candidate for Traeger in the 2017 state election, but she confirmed that she would not contest against Mr Katter this time.

Former Mount Isa Mayor Danielle Slade, watched by the then-Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, speaks at a press conference in the lead-up to the last election. Ms Slade was also a Labor candidate that ran against Robbie Katter in 2017. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“I’ve just come off the back of four huge years of my whole private life being absorbed by council, and it was evident after the election friends and family were relieved that I didn’t get in,” she said.

“I need to give my family a rest more than anything else,” she said.

Days before KAP’s official campaign launch on Friday, Mr Katter warned no state politician was safe in the current political climate, despite previously predicting an anti-Labor swing, and he could not afford to take the absence of challengers for granted.

Anzac Day in Mount Isa with Traeger MP Robbie Katter and APEX representative John Davis. Picture: Supplied

He said he had been absent from some ceremonies in Mount Isa, which was a criticism held by Ms Slade, but also supplied photographs demonstrating that he had attended local events.

Despite the advantage of having his own plane and pilot’s licence to navigate the second-largest Queensland electorate, which covers 12 local councils, Mr Katter said his absence from his hometown of Mount Isa could have an impact.

It contained a significant part of the electorate’s voter base.

A group photograph of Australia Day award recipients in Cloncurry, which includes Traeger MP Robbie Katter. Picture: Supplied

“I constantly miss events in Mount Isa because I’m in other small towns around the place,” Mr Katter said.

“So I guess there’s a disadvantage in being a sitting member because I can’t afford to just sit comfortably in Mount Isa to try and win votes.

“I’ve still got to get around to the far-flung areas of the electorate.

Traeger MP Robbie Katter asks a question to the legislative assembly at a regional sitting of Queensland parliament held at the Cairns Convention Centre. Picture: Brendan Radke

“If I was acting purely politically, that wouldn’t be a great idea, but you’ve still got an obligation to do that as sitting members.”

He said regional western Queensland’s issues, including rising power prices associated with meeting emissions targets, flooding, and a lack of infrastructure, were more intense than those of the southeast coastal cities.

Gulf communities were consistently flooded in for lengthy periods during wet seasons.

Mr Katter claimed that during one flooding event, Doomadgee experienced a fuel shortage for two weeks, while Burketown residents were restricted from buying more than two potatoes a day.

“The government doesn’t have the money; they can’t raise $100m for these bridges, but they can raise $700m for 20,000 people at Bribie Island – that’s adversity.”

But Ms Slade said the Labor Government, especially under Annastacia Palaszczuk, had done well despite the tough economic climate.

However, her local parliamentarians needed to address crime at a more local level rather than let the council lead on the issue.

“He needs to step up,” she said.

“There’s no point just throwing rocks at the state government, and throwing rocks at the mine, he needs to work with everybody.

“I think because he’s such a nice bloke, people vote him in, but I would personally like to remind people you can like someone and want to have a beer with them; it doesn’t mean you have to vote him in as your state member.”

Originally published as Former Mayor’s attack of unchallenged KAP leader’s performance