2025 Federal Budget: “The country is playing catchup and chasing our tail”

March 25, 2025

Katter's Australian Party Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, has issued a critical response to the 2025 Federal Budget, highlighting serious concerns about its lack of proactive infrastructure planning, onerous regulatory overreach, and obvious lack of investment in agriculture and mining industries.


"The 2025 Budget reveals a government more focused on reactive policies rather than proactively addressing the needs of our nation. 

"Our agriculture and mining sector is the backbone of our country's economic growth and prosperity. 


"But it is clear that the country is nothing more than a quarrying nation. Its income comes from iron ore, coal, bauxite, silicon – none are processed. We are giving our most vital resources to foreign landlords while shutting down our most lucrative industry: coal," said Mr Katter.


Supermarkets

$38.8 million has been allocated for a crackdown on misleading and deceptive pricing and $2.9 million to support suppliers to enforce their rights under the grocery code of conduct. 


"I can't see these measures providing any of the real significant reform that we need to break the duopoly and make the supermarkets more accountable to the Australian public," Mr Katter said.


"Already, the Australian supermarket sector is seen as the most profitable in the world. They are making these profits from heartache, equally experienced by both consumers and suppliers. We need real and significant reform which includes forced and mandatory divestiture, a maximum 100% markup and removal of all onerous regulation imposed on suppliers.


"Government is also proposing to reduce the cost of 30 essential products in remote First Australian communities. However, not one cent is being provided to allow these communities to become self-sufficient through the restoration of market gardens. "Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you'll feed him for life." Government needs to learn from the parable." 


Bank charges and scams

The Budget proposes to remove unfair, excessive credit card surcharges, ban debit card surcharges, and provide $6.7 million for anti-scam support. 


"This measure may be applauded, but to really protect the Australian consumer, we need continued and guaranteed access to, and acceptance of, cash. Further, banks should be required to repay consumers that have fallen victim to scams." 


Critical minerals and mining

Katter voiced strong opposition to the federal government's approach to critical minerals, noting its obvious omission from the key budget documents. 


"The "Future Made in Australia" has been hijacked by the "Wokie Greens" as a "junket" for costly renewables," he said. 


"The critical minerals sector is a strategic asset for this country, and yet the government is sitting on its backside while promising that we'll be swimming in wealth. We'll be drowning in foreign ownership and green tape.


"The so-called 'use it or lose it' legislation is needed to address the bottlenecks in mineral extraction, but the reality is that new mines are being held to ransom by unnecessary regulations.


"Significant investment is required to ensure Mount Isa remains the industrial and service hub of the NW Minerals Province. This Budget lacks that detail," Mr Katter said.


"And coal should not be regarded as a dirty word but instead be seen as a cheap and reliable energy solution to provide for Australia's wealth and economic generation for many years to come.


"We make no apologies for being the black warriors. Coal is King."


Infrastructure: reactive, not proactive

"Look at the state of our infrastructure: we are reacting to problems as they come up, rather than planning ahead," Katter said. 


"If we are truly serious about the future, we need to focus on proactive infrastructure."


Mr Katter also highlighted the need for crucial infrastructure projects, including:

  • Bridle Track Tunnel
  • Fast track CopperString (transmission line connecting Townsville to Mount Isa)
  • Inland highways from the Atherton Tablelands to the mid-west 
  • Bruce Highway – the Seymour and Gairloch Bridge 
  • HIPCo (Hughenden Irrigation Project Corporation) as a template for Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Richmond, Doomadgee and Burketown
  • Diversion of the Upper Herbert 
  • Reuben Richardson's pump storage project 


Maintenance and upgrades to key roads and rail lines 

As stated above, funds are urgently needed for all-weather access roads in key areas to support emergency management and regional development.


In response to Mr Katter's question in Question Time, the Prime Minister confirmed that $17 billion was allocated for the Bruce Highway, and another $97.3 million for the completion of the Kennedy Development Road (between the Lynd and Hughenden section of the Great Inland Highway). 


"When the Bruce Highway was cut off at the Ollera Creek Bridge, transport and freight came to a halt. Communities north of Townsville were cut off for nearly three weeks and an area that produced 15 percent of Australia's fruit and vegetables were unable to get to market.

The supply chain was seriously impacted, and it was felt around the country," Mr Katter said. 


"What is not clear in the Budget is where this $17 billion will be allocated. Since November 2021, $40 million has been allocated for the Gairloch and Seymour areas, yet no construction has started.


"Construction of the Bridle Track Tunnel, which will provide emergency evacuation for Cairns and the surrounds must be a priority and connecting the Great Inland Highway (Lynd to Charters Towers section), and key roads like the Bruce Highway at Seymour and Gairloch must also be fast-tracked to ensure our industries remain uninterrupted. 


"Every time we see a heavy rain depression, Townsville and Ingham are subject to flooding. It is time we introduce flood diversion measures for the Upper Herbert and Ross Rivers to reduce downstream impacts.


"These are just a few of the projects that could provide long-term economic stability for the country. Instead, we're stuck with a Federal Budget that is playing catchup rather than laying the foundations for a prosperous future," Mr Katter added.


Transport

"$130 million in loans for Rex Airlines is the last thing we need in rural Australia after decades of overpricing and unreliability. This loan was required because Rex (like others before them) arguably abandoned rural Australia for more profitable routes. 


"What's needed is a government owned, rural focused airline that provides connectivity between very remote locations and their administrative centres. These tickets should be subsidised by government to a price equivalent to the public transport subsidies in Brisbane." 


Fuel and energy

"$150 wiped from a family's power bill for the second half of this year" is a shortsighted vote grab," Mr Katter said.


"And a further $8 billion has been allocated for renewables and low emission projects.


"However, these measures do not acknowledge that the most cost-effective and reliable power source is still from coal-fired power generation. 


"We need real measures to reduce the cost of electricity, and investment and upgrade rather than the shutdown of our coal fired power stations. To ensure that Australians can have continued access to cheap, reliable power, we cannot afford the extravagance of renewables," Mr Katter said. 


"For fuel, we need a serious plan for Australia to become self-sufficient in fuel. We have all the natural resources to rival the most self-sufficient fuel resources in the world – 10 hectares of cane produces 10,000 litres of fuel that we could use in our cars (ethanol). Yet we are almost solely dependent on fuel imports. Even our fuel reserves are stored in America." 


Health & rural communities

GPs have seen an $8.5 billion injection to ensure visits across the country continue to be bulk billed. 


In response to health announcements, Mr Katter pointed to the government's failure to adequately address the needs of rural communities. 


"The government has failed to significantly address the shortage of GPs in rural and regional areas, and their approach to pharmacy regulations will only make it harder for rural Australians to access the medications and services they need.


"A lot of these measures, whilst effective in metropolitan areas, will do little to address the current health crisis due to the lack of healthcare workers in regional Australia. 


"We also need a national cap on pharmacy ownership and, where appropriate, the roll out of accreditation for issuing of repeat scripts."


Additionally, Mr Katter stressed the importance of supporting First Australian communities with better nutritional standards, focusing on developing local market gardens to provide fresh produce.


Housing

Katter also took issue with the government's approach to housing, calling for the removal of land restrictions in non-metropolitan areas to encourage growth and alleviate pressure on urban centres.


"Whilst this measure has been noted in repeated budgets, all housing development is still hamstrung by onerous regulatory oversight, making housing unaffordable and out of reach for everyday Australian families. 


"It is noted that $120 million has been provided for the national productivity fund to remove red tape relating to modern construction, but this does not go far enough to address excessive regulations imposed by the three layers of government that are prohibiting the release of land and substantially increasing the cost of building.


"The proposal to ban foreign buyers from buying existing dwellings for two years, and to target land banking by foreigners is applauded, however, the question should be asked, as to whether or not this will increase the market competition for new builds." 


Family tax reforms & corporate accountability

On tax, Katter emphasised the need for income splitting to support families and called for an abolition of current immigration policy. 


Income splitting would allow families with parents of differing wages to split their high wage for tax purposes so that less overall tax is paid by families. 


"We must abolish immigration and start again.


"Government should be using the monies spent on supporting immigrants to instead support Australian families by providing $20,000 per child per year to their primary carer/s," he stated.


Katter also proposed the abolition of ASIC, arguing that corporate oversight should be handed over to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) with stronger penalties for corporate wrongdoers and proven law enforcement capabilities. 


"Corporate rogues must be stopped and prohibited from reforming," said Mr Katter.


Emergency management

In terms of emergency management, Katter called for a portion of the $6 billion in annual GST revenue from insurance to be specifically quarantined for infrastructure projects that reduce flood risks and allow for relief and recovery.


"Raising, sealing, and widening roads, as well as building new roads to connect Cairns to the Tablelands, as well as flood-proofing the Bruce Highway are crucial investments in disaster mitigation.


"The Government also needs to address the shortfalls with the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool that has left premiums in northern Australia four times the amount the southern cities pay. This is grossly unfair particularly as the Pool may now be completely absorbed by those impacted by the recent cyclone in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales." 


Telecommunications  

Katter also acknowledged the government's commitment to the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) for mobile phones in regional and remote Australia but warned that while it's a step in the right direction, the policy only covers emergency calls (000) and basic voice calls, not data or streaming. 


"This is fine for emergencies, but it falls short for businesses, schools, and communities that rely on robust connectivity including data for everyday communication and economic activity," he said.


Fun and freedom 

The beer tax has been frozen for two years from August 2025. 


"This will assist many of the fabulous brewers and publicans that we have in the north and restore our sovereign rights to enjoy a beer at the pub without sinking all your hard earned," Mr Katter said. 


Summary

In response to the 2025 Budget, Mr Katter said he was once again left with little faith the country would return to its nation-building potential in any foreseeable future. Instead, the Budget is a mix of band-aid and tokenistic solutions that will do little to generate the real wealth that our nation needs.   


"It spends billions on tokenistic, "Wokie Green" causes - squandering the nation's wealth and stopping job creation.



"It is clearly an anti-development anti-jobs agenda, with no mines and no agricultural consideration, whatsoever.


"This budget is full of metro lollipops and its only outcome is decay."


ENDS

Katter meets with Minister and Department to save Mount Isa

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 22, 2025
"Let me be quite clear; we don't bail out foreign billionaires," Mr Katter stated. "Just down the road in Cloncurry, another copper mine, Ernest Henry, has recently announced record-breaking profits. Glencore was the former operator of this mine and got rid of it, claiming it wasn't profitable. That should give you a very clear picture of how incapable Glencore really is. "I have said it repeatedly, if Glencore cannot make the Mount Isa copper smelter work on their own, the government should step in; not to throw money at what appears to be 'spectacular mismanagement', but to take control of the asset. "This smelter is a vital piece of Australian industry, and government needs to act - swiftly and decisively," Mr Katter said. Government must immediately: (1) Reserve a portion of domestic production for domestic processing and manufacturing to ensure a national benefit, and (2) Implement 'use it or lose it' so that multi-national organisations can't sit on our mining assets to influence international stock markets. "We cannot compete with the Chinese when their governments build and own factories, provide subsidised power and don't require return on investment. Australia is already fighting an uphill battle; meanwhile, we are letting Glencore run riot and send our value offshore," Mr Katter warned. Mr Katter expressed confidence that the government was beginning to see the writing on the wall. "There is faith that this government will move to gain a stake in the copper smelter, not bail out the multi-national Glencore. If they want ownership partnerships, then it should come with government oversight, domestic processing guarantees and a binding commitment to Australian jobs. "It is an insult to all Australian taxpayers that a single cent of their money would be spent on a foreign-owned corporation that has recorded massive profits in other divisions while allowing for our critical infrastructure to wither and die. "A line in the sand must be drawn. Our assets must be retained for our benefit. Glencore can get with it or get out." ENDS

Katter on Bega closures: "Australia sends its farmers into battle without shield or helmet"

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 18, 2025
"This country used to have thriving industries: tobacco, peanuts, maize, flour, citrus, grapes, and about 30 major food lines. Each one smashed," Mr Katter said. "Now they tell me 46 per cent of Australia's fruit and vegetables come from overseas. You think the average Australian would believe their own government did this to them?" Katter pointed to the sugar industry as a textbook example of what's gone wrong. "Once upon a time, 23 of our 26 sugar mills were owned by local farmers. Now, go check it, every one of them is foreign-owned. The Nationals and Liberals gave away the industry under a so-called reform deal that handed over $270 million a year to reduce protections and open us to the mercy of the global market. Labor just rolled over and went along with it. "We are the only country on earth that sends our gladiators, our food producers, into the ring without a helmet and shield. The rest of the world? Their farmers are supported to the tune of 41 per cent of their income. In Australia? Four per cent. You think we're 36 per cent better farmers than the rest of the world? Give me a break." Mr Katter also condemned the hypocrisy of the federal government pouring $100 million into corporate giants like Bunnings and Officeworks to install EV chargers and solar panels [1] while regional food processors are shut down. "While they shovel public money into Bunnings, Woolworths, and Coles, who already mark-up fresh food by over 200 per cent, we're shutting down regional factories and family farms that feed the country. It's completely absurd." With the closure of Tolga's peanut processing facility, the Atherton Tablelands loses another key pillar of its agricultural base, putting growers, workers, and communities at risk. "We are rapidly losing the ability to feed ourselves," Mr Katter warned. "When the ports close, or China decides to flick the switch on exports, or international prices go up, we'll be sitting here naked, with no shield, no helmet, and no food." ENDS [1] www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/28/australian-government-loans-100m-to-install-ev-chargers-and-solar-panels-at-bunnings-and-officeworks-stores

Ernest Henry mine profit is a “flashing neon sign” of Glencore’s failure

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 17, 2025
"I am informed that Glencore shut the Ernest Henry mine because they claimed it wasn't profitable," Mr Katter said. "Well, the current owners have done it at a record-breaking profit. That should give you a very clear picture of how incapable Glencore really is. "This is a flashing neon light as what I view as the sheer incompetence of Glencore's operations within this country," Mr Katter warned. The Ernest Henry operation, near Cloncurry, was sold to Evolution Mining in 2022. Under this new ownership, it has delivered significant returns and reinvestment in the local economy. The success of the new operators adds fuel to long-standing concerns about Glencore's stewardship of Australia's copper assets, especially the Mount Isa Mines copper smelter and mining operations. "If they cannot run Ernest Henry at a profit, and we can see that another company can do so with their eyes closed, then they have no business holding onto the copper mine or smelter," Mr Katter said. "It's high time they handed over the reins to people who know what they’re doing and are willing to invest in the long-term future of the Northwest Mineral Province." Katter has long argued for the national interest control of critical minerals infrastructure, saying multinationals, like Glencore, prioritise overseas shareholders over Australian workers and regional development. "What we are now seeing is proof that Australian-led enterprises can do what these foreign giants have refused to do: make it work, and make it work well." ENDS

Katter backs ambitious rail and port plan: “We’ve waited since my grandfather’s time”

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 17, 2025
“We applaud them,” Mr Katter said. “Since my grandfather’s time, which was a long time ago, we have been waiting for a railway line from the Northwest to the Gulf. They were building it once, but when they struck gold, they stopped at Julia Creek. “This company is doing what governments have failed to do for over a century – they’re getting on with the job, and I wholeheartedly applaud anyone involved,” Mr Katter stated. Mr Katter noted the use of light rail from Nardoo Station for part of the journey, dramatically reducing transport costs. Mr Katter also noted current reports indicate $5 per tonne is being spent to move raw materials – something light rail and water transport can reduce significantly. “Materials can be moved into the Leichhardt River Canals using the Panamax-class vessels. Once on water, freight costs are slashed dramatically. This isn’t a transport solution; it is a nation-building project. It opens up vast areas of untapped wealth, gives us the infrastructure we should have had generations ago, and puts Australian enterprise back in the driver’s seat,” Mr Katter observed. Mr Katter said he hoped all levels of government would support the initiative, but stressed that even without it, the private sector leadership shown here was a more than welcome change. “Too many times, we see bureaucrats and politicians sitting on their hands while regional Australia gets left behind. Well, these people aren’t waiting. They are building, and we should be backing them every step of the way.” ENDS

Katter: Stop remote residents dying young

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 14, 2025
"We are pleading with government to extend Medicare benefits to regional and remote residents to include telehealth appointments across the board, including for specialist nurse practitioners," Mr Katter explained. "We need to put in place more avenues of access for non-metropolitan Australians to receive medical services." RACGP's Rural Health in Australia Snapshot 2025 study also found that patients in very remote Australia use Medicare almost 50 percent less than those who live in our cities and experience longer waiting times to see a GP than those in major cities. "There are people in my electorate who need to drive 20 hours to see the nearest specialist, and while they get state government travel assistance, it doesn't cover the cost of accommodation, taxis if needed, the extra costs of buying food while away from home, and taking days off work. "The money saved on travel costs, especially as regional and remote flight costs are exorbitant, can be put towards covering Medicare rebates for non-metropolitan Australians who are suffering poor health outcomes from simply not living on the coast," Mr Katter said. "And I hear people say, 'move to the city then', but who will mine the minerals to make your computers and mobile phones? Who will grow the food you eat and the fibres that make your clothes? "As a country we need to do better at providing healthcare to every Australian. We need to support the people who feed and clothe us." ENDS

Trump's tariffs should wake our government from its economic delusions

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 9, 2025
“Trump’s protecting his industries from the uncontestable, government-backed mega-production coming out of China. Their factories aren’t built by the private sector - they’re built by the government, with government money, and they don’t need to service debt,” Mr Katter said. “The Chinese government doesn’t throw money away on ego monuments and feel-good ‘net-zero’ whims. It builds factories that produce things, freeways and tunnels that create wealth and economic generation. That money, in turn, produces value. It’s deflationary, not inflationary. “The Australin Government, on the other hand, have obliterated our production sector in favour of ideology and self-indulgence.” Mr Katter said there were no domestic industries left that could compete on a global stage - except beef, grain, and mining (not processing) – and warned that places like Mount Isa, home to a major copper smelter, were in the firing line if trade conditions deteriorated further. “You can’t expect a 25,000 mega-tonne refinery in Australia to compete with a 250,000 mega-tonne refinery in China. And yet our response has been to party on, strangling our industries and primary producers with over-regulation and skip down a net-zero path without caring about whether the money comes from. This had led us to become a net importer of nearly all our food, manufactured goods and fuel.” “We are one of the most resource rich countries in the world, yet we are fast becoming an economic backet case. It’s economic insanity.” He continued: “A billion people go to bed hungry every night—and we in Northern Australia could feed half a billion of them, if the government got out of the way and stopped treating our industries like a nuisance.” Mr Katter also took aim at the Federal Government’s trade policy, warning that Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ recent economic optimism was “delusional at best.” Katter reserved some of his strongest criticism for Foreign Minister Penny Wong, saying Australia’s relationship with the U.S. was already frayed—and that her approach to China was “worse than naïve.” “She’s got us surrounded. Chinese warships circle us like crows around a carcass, and we call that diplomacy.” Mr Katter said his party, along with other regional crossbenchers, would soon be pitching an ‘Omnibus Bill’ to reshape Australia’s economy and re-establish essential industries. “This delusion must stop. Australia must follow America’s lead and start protecting our own industries, primary producers and manufacturers.” ENDS

Katter warns PM and Premier: Fail Isa, fail the nation

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 3, 2025
Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, today visited Mount Isa, a city built on mining and industrial manufacturing, as its people face the grim reality of a slow-motion industrial collapse 20 years in the making off the back of Glencore's threat of imminent closure should they fail to get a "government bailout". Mr Katter spoke directly with residents, many of whom have spent generations working in the mines, smelters, and refineries that once defined Australia's critical mineral capacity. "For decades, governments in this country have taken our mineral processing for granted, and at the same time Glencore has made short-term self-serving decisions on investment and energy that created risks for the entire country," Mr Katter said. "The Mount Isa-Townsville industrial complex is not just important; it is the most important manufacturing production line in this nation. It is the only place in Australia where copper ore from across Queensland and beyond can be turned into usable copper – the copper that builds your homes, powers your electrical infrastructure, underpins weapons manufacturing, and drives the computers and technology that hold our country together. "Yet governments have sat idly by while Glencore has been allowed to gain complete control over Australia's most valuable industrial asset, and they've made some disastrous decisions that are biting them and risking Australia's minerals production. And now, with copper prices strong, demand rising, and the world screaming for critical minerals, our processing capacity is being shuttered. "For 20 years, governments and Ministers have come to Mount Isa for their photo opportunities, promised cheaper power, more competitive markets, and finally, CopperString. But every announcement has been just that – words and no action, and they've left every major decision up to a ruthless multinational trading company that is now threatening to walk," Mr Katter said.

Reserve gas policy welcome, but Mount Isa/Cloncurry still on the brink

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 2, 2025
"A devil is often in the detail – and we haven't seen that yet with this proposed review into the East Coast Gas Reservation scheme. While this announcement appears to be very positive, it may change, and my position may change on it," Mr Katter said. Mr Katter warned the energy crisis facing Mount Isa was "absolutely critical", and said the town is not connected to the national electricity grid and relies entirely on gas for electricity, chemical production and industry operations. "The copper smelter, the copper operations, the dozen copper mines, the silver-lead-zinc plant, make Mount Isa the third biggest industrial centre in this country, just behind Newcastle and Gladstone," he said. "The complete collapse of Mount Isa's industrial base was imminent last week. The dominoes were already falling. Mount Isa pulls 3,000 jobs directly out of Townsville and fuels billions in industrial exports. If it goes under, it's not just a local issue – it's a national one." Mr Katter said he sent a blunt letter to both the Prime Minister and the Queensland Premier, warning that, without action on a gas reservation policy, they would be remembered as presiding over the industrial destruction of the region. "We are paying up to $16.60 for a unit of gas in Mount Isa, while the Americans and Russians are paying $5 US. It's impossible to survive or compete under those conditions. Give us RRP and we go forward. Deny us, and there will be a collapse." Mr Katter said he had received no response from the Queensland Premier, despite personal representations by state MP Robbie Katter, but acknowledged that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken direct action by including new gas from the Northern Territory, including the Beetaloo Basin, in the policy.

Katter demands increased defence spending in the north: “We’re unlikely to be fighting penguins in Antarctica… the threat is in the north”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 24, 2025
As recently as late last week, Mr Katter held discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, making representations for the new amphibious army fleet to be ported at Cairns and for final funding to be provided for the ship lift so that maintenance can be undertaken on Australia's naval vessels. "Unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica, maybe we should cast our eyes north to where the threat is more likely," Mr Katter said. "To go to war now is not only inconceivable but a catastrophic failure of defence planning that echoes the same fatal mistakes made in World War II. "In the Second World War, our three armies were sitting in the Libyan Desert while the Japanese prepared to invade. Whether it was dereliction of duty or outright stupidity, it was the most damning judgement on a government in this country's history," Mr Katter said. "They knew we were about to be invaded, and they sent two forward scout groups to meet the threat — 3,000 young men and the 49th Battalion. Half of them had never fired a rifle in their life. Our Air Force was so under-equipped it was a joke; the Wirraway had machine guns on the wings and no chance of taking on Japanese Zeros." Mr Katter compared the current state of Australia's Defence Force to those dark days, saying the government's claims of readiness are farcical in the face of the growing international military capability.

Katter furious: No justice for graziers devastated by 2011 ban

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 18, 2025
Katter accused the Court of "turning their backs on those who bore the brunt of a government blunder" by underestimating the impact of the ban on long-term export numbers and industry viability. Mr Katter said the Court's minimisation of the industry's losses is an insult to the thousands of families who suffered financial and emotional devastation and warned the ongoing delays in compensation will only compound the damage. "At nearly 300 million people, Indonesia is one of the biggest countries on earth. There's a massive market for our beef. They need beef but they can't afford it if it's processed in Australia. We can grow it to one year old very inexpensively," Katter explained. "If they grow the beast out and then process it there, it becomes very competitively priced." Katter warned that Australia's cattle and sheep herds are plummeting, with live exports being one of the few remaining options for sustaining the northern economy. "We need to quadruple our beef herd in Australia. And just the opposite is happening, it's the most extraordinary phenomenon. The cattle numbers have gone from 32 million in the late '70s down to 24 million and that's where they've stayed," he said. Katter took aim at the ALP's economic legacy, particularly its handling of Australia's once-thriving wool industry. "The Labor Party has earned their place in the history books. The biggest export earner for Australia for 200 years was wool. In 1990, it was Australia's largest export item at $6 billion per year. But Keating's obsession with free market economics completely demolished the wool industry. And what was left was destroyed by Labour's ban on live exports. "So congratulations Mr ALP, you destroyed the biggest wealth earner for this nation." Mr Katter said the Court must now ensure justice is delivered when it determines how much compensation is due to those who suffered under the 2011 ban. ENDS