Katter calls for decentralisation of govt departments following self-absorbing budget
May 14, 2024
ANALYSING the budget for the 50th time in his career, Kennedy MP Bob Katter says the government’s ministers and their departments have no idea what’s going on outside Canberra, and it shows in the 2024 papers.
As he flicked through the 186-page Budget Paper No. 2 document, Mr Katter said he noted high volumes of spending across a wide spectrum of issues, yet devoid of any succinct detail, as if “the government was trying to cover all bases.”
“Out of a budget worth about $700bn, a good $30bn to $40bn is going back to government departments under the guise of ‘streamlining and developing new processes, or creating reports or improving compliance’,” Mr Katter said.
“I believe the Prime Minister has given orders to his ministers, on what he wants, but they, or their department heads have no idea what’s happening out here. They’re fifth-generation Canberra bureaucrats, a ‘million miles away from North Queensland’.
“So now they’ll be ‘looking into it’ and creating reports, and by the time those reports come back, we’ll have a new government.”
Mr Katter said it was only fair to note this budget lacked vision just as much as previous budgets in the past couple of decades.
“Take Ben Chifley, he gave us telephones, he eradicated tuberculosis, he built the Snowy Mountains and he delivered secondary industry with the Holden motorcar. He did all that in a bit over five years. Now if you put all the Prime Ministers together since I've been here you wouldn't get anything that remotely resembles that.
“There’s money in there for roads, for health, for housing, but it’s all global – there’s no deadlines, details or specifics, we’ll have to vigorously fight for the crumbs – especially in regional Queensland.
“The government outlined it was committing $21bn on infrastructure spend on Queensland, below that it detailed $4bn would go to improve the Southeast transport networks, and then it listed just $467m for the Bruce Hwy corridor.
“Or, we can fight for scraps in the $1bn Roads to Recovery Program.
“If you’re sitting in Brisbane and Canberra making these decisions, you’re a long way away from our crumbling roads.”
Mr Katter said it was evident it was time for the decentralisation of government departments, especially with measures included which would decimate rural Australia.
“They’re hitting us with the ban of live sheep exports, whatever is left of this industry previously destroyed through the deregulation of wool will be gone.
They’re hitting us with the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard – driving up the costs of four-wheel drives which people not just remote towns, but regional cities as well.
“Why isn’t the agriculture department based where the agriculture is? Last time I checked, there aren’t too many crops growing at 18 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra.
“When I was made the mines minister in Queensland, I moved the mines department to North Queensland – where the action was. When I was made First Australians minister, I moved the department to Cairns.”
Mr Katter said he did his best to find the positives in the budget and accepted funding linked to critical minerals under the controversial Future Made in Australia Fund and said he would be vigorously chasing funding for the building of facilities in the greater Townsville region.
Among the funding that interested Mr Katter included:
- $566m over ten years for Geoscience Australia to map Australia’s national groundwater systems and resource endowments to increase industry investment and identify potential discoveries for all critical minerals.
- A Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive from 2027–28 to 2040–41 to support downstream refining and processing of Australia’s 31 critical minerals to improve supply chain resilience, at an estimated cost to the budget of $7.0bn over 11 years from 2023–24 (and an average of $1.5bn per year from 2034–35 to 2040–41)
- $10.2m in 2024–25 for pre-feasibility studies for critical mineral common-user processing facilities in partnership with state and territory governments to enhance Australia’s capacity to process critical minerals, sovereign capability and economic resilience.
- $20.9m over four years from 2024–25 (and $1.2m per year ongoing) to undertake further consultation on incentives to support the production of, and demand for, low carbon liquid fuels.
Some examples of generous departmental funding include:
- $20m over five years for the Department of Agriculture to maintain policy capability and an additional $42m for the department to support it in the rollout of drought related programs.
- $48m over four years to implement further reforms to the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme.
- $28.6m over four years to the Inspector-General of Water Compliance to undertake inquiry, oversight and public engagement functions.
- $54.7m over two years to administer, coordinate and promote the Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda.
- $182.7m over eight years from to strengthen approval processes to support the delivery of the Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda.
- $17.5m over ten years to establish a new Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence.
- $84.2m over four years to the Department of Education to increase audits of providers in the child care sector.
- $68.6m over five years to increase resourcing for the Digital Services Contact Centre to support people using Workforce Australia Online services.
- $10.6m over four years for the implementation of a reporting solution for the Australian Skills Guarantee.
- $155.6m over two years to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to continue operating and improving the Government’s Digital ID, myGovID, and the system which supports authorised access to a range of government business services.
- $1.2bn over five years for sustainment of, and essential enhancements to, critical aged care digital systems.
- $110.9m over four years to increase the regulatory capability of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
- $21.6m over four years to establish a reshaped National AI Centre (NAIC) and an AI advisory body within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
- $84.5m over five years to establish a regulator to administer the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, including to capture emissions data.
- $10.0m in 2023–24 for a national communications campaign to raise awareness of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard.
- $399.1m over five years from 2023–24 (and an additional $616.8, from 2028–29 to 2034–35 and $93.4 million per year ongoing) in additional resourcing for the Net Zero Economy Authority (the Authority), the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Fair Work Commission to promote orderly and positive economic transformation associated with decarbonisation.
Is government seriously that tone deaf that it would permit the sale of 22,000 hectares of prime agricultural land to foreign investors????? UNFORTUNATELY .. the answer is YES . Our government has allowed the sale of a huge “Rushy Lagoon” property in Tasmania. THIS PROPERTY is roughly one-and-a-half times the size of Washington, D.C. (17,700 ha), and would fit roughly 30,800 international soccer pitches. THIS PROPERTY at capacity runs 85,000 DSE dairy and beef cattle. THIS PROPERTY employs hundreds of locals and supports the entire economy of the towns throughout the region. THIS PROPERTY is key to the sustainability and self-sufficiency of Australia’s domestic beef and milk markets. The INTERNATIONAL PURCHASERS want to turn it all into a “pine farm” - sacking staff and destroying the local economy, but also depriving Australia of the agricultural and wealth generation that comes with such a large agricultural enterprise. Ignoring the pleas from locals, government has rubber stamped the sale. AUSTRALIA WE MUST WAKE UP!!!! WE MUST FIGHT AGAINST FOREIGN LANDLORDS!!!! IT MIGHT NOT BE HAPPENING IN YOUR BACKYARD NOW…. BUT IT WILL BE SOON!!! AUSTRALIA IS NOT… AND SHOULD NEVER BE… FOR SALE!!!!
8 July 2026: North Queensland Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has demanded the Federal Agriculture Minister make public the “deeply concerning” findings of Government investigations into imported peanuts for Australian farmers “who every right to know whether their industry has been exposed to a biosecurity threat”. After meeting with the Federal Minister in Canberra last week, Mr Katter has formally requested in writing the Department of Agriculture’s full transparency on the results of investigations, alongside an immediate halt to peanut imports where Australia's biosecurity cannot be guaranteed. "Australia has strict biosecurity rules for a reason. They exist to stop dangerous pests and diseases getting into this country before they destroy Australian agriculture," said Mr Katter. "However, having been advised by the Minister last week of intensive investigations into imported peanuts – including the germination testing of particular significance – my office has now received evidence confirming germination of the samples collected for laboratory testing… which raises very serious questions because if peanuts can germinate, they are raw.” Mr Katter said the results indicating germination in all peanut varieties tested had raised fears imported peanuts are not undergoing necessary processing to eliminate raw biosecurity threats. "The Australian peanut industry is rightly worried about diseases that simply do not exist here – such as the devastating peanut smut in overseas crops which, once established, slashes yields by up to 75 per cent. Once these diseases are in Australian soil, there’s no magic wand to get rid of them." Mr Katter said reports the imported raw peanuts were being offered for sale nationwide reflected the extent of the potential national biosecurity risk “that we've seen again and again and again... We warned governments not to allow imported prawns because white spot disease would get in. We were ignored, and white spot came in. We warned about citrus canker. We warned about black sigatoka. We warned about papaya fruit fly. We warned about Panama disease. “If you believe governments have the best interest of Australian farmers at heart, then you believe in the tooth fairy – while they continue to gamble with Australia's biosecurity and food security to look after their precious ‘free’ trade agreements.” Mr Katter said where there was genuine uncertainty about whether imported peanuts complied with Australia's biosecurity requirements, “they should not be coming into this country until that uncertainty is resolved. You don't wait until the disease arrives, before you lock the gate." ENDS
KAP Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has welcomed the completion of the sale of Phosphate Hill, celebrating it as a major win for North West Queensland workers, industry and the future of Australian fertiliser production. Mr Katter said the announcement represented the culmination of years of relentless campaigning to keep one of Australia's most strategically important industrial assets operating. "This is wonderful news for North West Queensland," Mr Katter said. "For years we've been bashing the doors down, that if Australia wanted to keep industry alive, governments had to step in and secure a future for assets like Phosphate Hill." Mr Katter said the federal government’s Reserve Resource Policy had been instrumental in helping create the conditions for the sale. "Getting a Reserve Resource Policy in place has been one of the major achievements of my political life. We fought tooth and nail because Australia should never be paying world-leading prices for our own gas. "Our competitors in countries like the United States and Russia have access to affordable energy, while Australian manufacturers have been paying more than $16 a unit for gas.” Mr Katter said affordable gas was fundamental to the survival of the North West's industrial base. "Everything at Phosphate Hill depends on gas. It powers the plant and drives the chemical processes that turn our natural resources into the fertiliser. "Only a year or so ago we were staring down the barrel of losing one of Australia's biggest industrial centres, with the closure of copper and phosphate production threatening thousands of livelihoods across the North West. "This is an enormous relief for the workers, contractors, families and communities who never gave up. "I particularly want to thank the people of North West Queensland who stood together and fought for this outcome. They refused to accept that these jobs should disappear, and today their determination has been rewarded." Mr Katter said the focus must now be on ensuring Phosphate Hill has the affordable energy certainty needed to remain strong operation for decades to come. -ENDS-
Parliament is back and so is the fight for Australia's future. This week, Bob and Elise sit down in Canberra to tackle one of the country's most contentious issues: immigration. Was the Bondi tragedy a warning sign? Bob argues it exposed much deeper problems, and that Australia's political class has abandoned its duty to protect the nation. Plus, inside Bob's $300 billion plan to transform Australia from a country that spends money into one that makes it. Listen now!
This week on Wisdom Mongrel Patriot, Bob hits the road and takes listeners deep into the heart of the Kennedy electorate to showcase the people, places and businesses that make Northern Australia tick. Our first stop is the tropical paradise of Mission Beach, where Bob sits down with one of the region's young entrepreneurs, Liam Johnson, owner of Scotties Bar and Grill. Liam shares the reality of starting a small business in today's Australia. Despite the challenges, he's chosen to back himself and invest in his community. Why would a young bloke take the risk? What keeps him going? And what does the future hold for regional small business? Along the way, Bob and Elise explore the wider Mission Beach region; one of Australia's true hidden gems. From pristine beaches and tropical rainforest to tourism, agriculture and local enterprise, they discuss why this corner of North Queensland continues to attract people looking for opportunity and a better way of life. And because no road trip with Bob would be complete without it, listeners are treated to another classic Bob serenade that proves once again that politics and music are never far apart in Kennedy. This week is a story about backing yourself, building something from scratch and having a crack when plenty of others wouldn't. Pull up a stool, grab a cold one and join Bob as he takes Wisdom Mongrel Patriot on the road. 🎙️🍻🌴
This week, Bob sits down with AgForce Queensland President Shane McCarthy, better known to mates and colleagues simply as "Sheep". In a frank discussion about the future of Australian agriculture, Sheep outlines the biggest challenges facing farmers today. He discusses the need for cutting through layers of red and green tape to ensure that producers can get on with the job of feeding the nation. The pair discuss the growing burden of regulation, the need for practical policy solutions, and why governments must start trusting farmers instead of tying them up in bureaucracy. They also tackle the escalating pest crisis affecting rural Australia, including the impact of pigs, wild dogs, wild cats and other feral animals and invasive species that continue to devastate livestock, crops and native ecosystems across the country. Along the way, Bob and Sheep share a few laughs, including a brief detour into the mystery of Bob's famously crooked nose, before reflecting on the homeland and values that shaped them both. It's a conversation about agriculture, common sense and the people who keep Australia fed. Listen now for a paddock-to-parliament discussion on farming, freedom and the future of regional Australia.
For decades I've been saying that water is the key to Australia's future. We don't have to wonder what happens when you build the infrastructure to harness it—we've just heard it firsthand from the people who've lived it. A big thank you to Rod Wetsel, Jake Lederle and Quentin Wetsel for travelling all the way from Texas to Hughenden to share their experience. Their lessons from Sweetwater and beyond have shown exactly what happens when governments back irrigation and transmission infrastructure: industries grow, jobs are created, and towns that were once shrinking begin to thrive. We're saving years of trial and error by listening to people who have already walked this path. Congratulations to Mayor Kate Peddle, Flinders Shire Council, RAPAD, the Local Government Association of Queensland and everyone who helped bring this delegation together. These are the conversations that can shape the future of inland Australia. The answer has never been to abandon the bush. The answer is to build it. That's how you nation-build.
28 May 2026: On World Blood Cancer Day today, Kennedy MP Bob Katter has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of strengthened funding for a major recruitment campaign to register hundreds of thousands more stem cell donors to be potentially called upon help save the lives of fellow Australians. In response to a question from Mr Katter in Parliament yesterday, the Health Minister confirmed Australia continued to hold one of the smallest stem cell donor registries of all developed countries – three years after vowing to expedite a significant increase in lagging donor registrations following representations by Mr Katter. The Minister also confirmed the Government’s call for tenders this week to establish a specialist stem cell donor registry and clinical service, to facilitate greater donor-recipient matches as the last hope for survivors. Mr Katter said the Life Saving List community campaigners had increased bone marrow donor registrants from 168,000 to 190,000 in the three years since the Health Minister noted Australia had not moved fast enough to help more blood cancer patients find donors. “In these three years, Australia has lost 18,000 lives – 20 people a day – including my nephew Liam,” he told Parliament before today joining community-based campaigners with the Parliamentary Group on Bone Marrow Donation to mark World Cancer Day in the Speaker’s Courtyard, where special guests from the Canberra Raiders demonstrated the quick and simple test to go on the register with just a cheek swab, or when donating blood. Along with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and Stem Cell Donors Australia, Life Saving List campaigner Josephine O’Brien said she was grateful for the progress in the two years since the premature death of husband Liam, who remained steadfast in his commitment to growing the stem cell donor registry whilst fighting for his own life. Acknowledging the work of Lifeblood for the treatments Liam required daily thanks to the kindness of strangers donating, Mrs O’Brien said: “No family should have to carry the weight of finding a donor alone. When someone you love needs a stem cell match, you are already facing the hardest moment of your life.” She also paid tribute to the Canberra Raiders for their ongoing support with the “relentless efforts” of campaigners and Parliamentary Group on Bone Marrow Donation – including Mr Katter, Macarthur MP Dr Mike Freelander, Kooyong MP Dr Monique Ryan, Forde MP Mr Ted O’Brien, Lyons MP Hon. Rebecca White and their staff – who fought for the inclusion in 2023 of cheek-swab registrations as “a giant leap forward for Australia that would not have been achieved for many years without the force of Liam O’Brien behind it”. Mr Katter said the additional expansion of 17-year-olds to the list of eligible donors would increase the pool of potential registrants from which to recruit potential stem cell donors by several hundred thousand young Australians; and welcomed the Minister’s further advice that the successful tenderer to provide clinical services to match donors with patients, would be asked to consider whether the age limit be raised from 35-40 years.
Josephine O'Brien joins Wisdom Mongrel Patriot on World Blood Cancer Day to share the deeply personal story behind the campaign that is transforming Australia's stem cell donor registry. After losing her husband Liam to blood cancer, Josephine has turned unimaginable grief into action, leading the fight to grow Australia's donor register and give other families the chance they never had. Bob Katter, his Chief of Staff Kahla Kruger, and Josephine discuss Australia's chronic shortage of stem cell donors, the progress made through the Life Saving List campaign, the importance of simple cheek-swab registrations, and why thousands more young Australians are needed on the register. This is a story of courage, persistence and hope, and a reminder that a single donor can mean the difference between life and death. Every Australian aged 17-35 can help. One cheek swab could save a life.
Australia was once a country where an ordinary Australian could buy a home, raise a family and have the mortgage knocked over by 30. Today, young Australians are being sold a very different dream, a lifetime on the hamster wheel, saddled with million-dollar mortgages they may never escape.
