Katter Party preference deal a kick in the guts for Northern Beef producers

The Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter’s dirty deal to preference the Labor party in the upcoming Federal Election is a kick in guts to the Northern Beef industry, Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry John McVeigh said today.

“Swapping preferences with the Labor Party, the same party that destroyed the live cattle trade industry, which his own electorate relies on, smells of a desperate attempt by Bob Katter to do anything save his own political skin,” Mr McVeigh said.

“The Katter Party and in particular Bob have shown their true colours and its red - Labor red.

“In the dead of night and hoping no one in his electorate of Kennedy would know, Bob Katter has struck a dirty little deal with the Labor Party.”

Mr McVeigh said a preference deals in key seats such as Flynn, Dawson, Capricornia, and Herbert shows Bob Katter wants his mate Kevin Rudd and Labor to win.

“The Northern Beef industry will be absolutely be outraged that Bob Katter is prepared to jump right back into bed with the Labor party," Mr McVeigh said.

“This is the same Labor Party that has brought so much distress and pain to our Northern Beef industry which is still reeling from that ridiculous decision to suspend the live cattle trade to Indonesia in 2011.

“It ripped the heart out of the northern cattle industry and the loss of live exports to Indonesia.

“The loss of market access and oversupply of cattle has, and continues to put immense pressure on drought-stricken paddocks and cattle prices.”

“Contrast that disastrous decision by Labor and the dirty Katter party deal to the Newman LNP government which supports agriculture and our farmers – we’ve:

• put together the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme;
• finalised the farm refinance package for Qld farmers;
• been to Indonesia to kick the live cattle trade off again and to open a Qld Government office in Jakarta focussed on market development for Qld farmers;
• reviewed vegetation management and land tenure;
• in beef and sugar cane research, and banana biosecurity;
• streamlined disaster recovery and resilience planning; and
• developed a 30-year strategy for the industry."

Mr McVeigh said its simple, a vote for Katter is a vote for Labor, which is a vote for Labor’s anti-agriculture policies. Only the LNP government is rolling its sleeves up for Queensland farmers.

[ENDS] 20 August 2013

Media Contact: Lachlan Millar – 0407 394 580