Katter loose with the truth on live trade again

Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter stands accused of again re-writing history when came to the live cattle trade, after an embarrassing performance on the ABC 7.30 Report last night.   

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry John McVeigh said Mr Katter needs to stop claiming credit for something he didn’t do.

“In typical Katter style, Bob is claiming he single-handedly resurrected the live cattle trade, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Mr McVeigh said.

“The only thing that Bob Katter did is side up to, support and swap preferences with the Labor Party, the same party that destroyed the live cattle trade industry, which his own electorate relies on.

“It’s obvious Bob Katter hasn’t learned anything from the results of the recent Federal Election where he suffered the biggest swing against him in the nation of 17 per cent and received less than 30 per cent of the primary vote, well behind the LNP candidate Noline Ikin.

“The message was clear; the people of Kennedy saw through Bob Katter and are sick of him re-writing history, claiming credit for something he had nothing to do with.

“The facts are, it was the Queensland and Northern Territory Governments that started to re-build the relationship with Indonesia.

“My Northern Territory counterpart Minister for Agriculture Willem Westra van Holthe and I met with the key Indonesian Ministers including Minister for Agriculture Suswono and Minister for Trade Irawan Wirjawan as well as other trade officials in April this year.  

“The Newman Government has also opened a trade office in Jakarta focused on market development for Queensland farmers.

“We know the importance of agriculture to Queensland, which is why we promised to grow it as one of the four pillars of the economy, and double agricultural production by 2040.

“Before Bob Katter rushed to start spruiking about his own self-importance on national TV and claiming credit for saving our beef industry, he really should look back over the Federal election results for a reality check.

“The message was clear – the people of north Queensland have had enough of Bob Katter and his pompous self-promotion and re-writing of history.

“The people in his own electorate don’t believe him anymore.”

[ENDS] 27 November 2013

Media Contact: Lachlan Millar 0407 394 580