Katter furious: No justice for graziers devastated by 2011 ban
June 18, 2025
FEDERAL Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has expressed extreme disappointment and rage at the Federal Court's failure to grasp the true scale of devastation caused by the Gillard Government's short-lived 2011 live export ban.
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
AUSTRALIA NEEDS TO BETTER USE OUR GREAT MINERAL, AGRICULTURAL AND LAND WEALTH Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Our mineral resources are vast. Our agricultural potential is huge. We have millions of hectares of land unutilised or under-utilised. Australians should be swimming in wealth …. NOT drowning in debt. Successive governments have slowed our economy to a grinding halt in a ruthless pursuit of a WOKE agenda. A REVOLUTION is coming… Australians are starting to fight back against the corporate and political elite that have sold and squandered our great Nation. It’s about time that government starts governing for the betterment of Australians or GET OUT and let the independent fighters that TRUELY represent their electorates and Australia have a go!!!!
Everyday, wonderful and courageous men and women of our police forces put their personal safety to the side to protect Australians. Most make it home… some, tragically, do not. Today we remember and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
In Mount Isa the answer is the same as Brisbane…. When Bob asks people “What would you do if you were the PM of Australia?” Overwhelmingly the answer is reduce migration levels. When the media runs stories of ISIS brides returning, mass murder at Bondi, machete crime in Melbourne… Australians are concerned…. Our cities are being stuffed with people who have no intention to contribute to our society... no want to integrate... they reside in large ethnic enclaves.. some migrate through lawful channels, many abuse the student and family dependent visa systems. Every year about 1 million more people come into Australia than leave… we are swamped. We want our country back.
Absolutely.. in the north we are controlled by a government based in the south east corner that is closer to Sydney. In the last 6 months we have lost yet another seat in Parliament to Brisbane... the Olympic Games extravaganza is costing more than the entire annual State budget... they have all the infrastructure, services and resources... we have potholes, patchwork road works, overstretched hospitals and police. For the North to be the powerhouse of this nation’s economy we need some autonomy so we can start the projects, build the infrastructure and create the wealth.
Thanks to the folks in Einasleigh, and Mayor Barry Hughes for having me yesterday in town and giving me my riding instructions! It wasn’t that long ago that most of the area was underwater. If ever there were an argument for a separate state— this is it. I don’t know of a million people anywhere in the world that are ruled by a government over 1,000 kilometres away or 2,000 kilometres away. Nowhere in the world does that exist. But when you are a small, isolated rural community, you are forgotten. The bridges are too low and they go under water all the time, the roads are too low and they go under water all the time, so there’s little replenishment of supplies. So there is work to be done. Thanks to publican Tayla for the chips and gravy, holding down the fort, taking care of the kitchen, bar and kids while her husband Braydon is away (winning most of the titles in NQ rodeo/campdraft/regional grand finals in Townsville!).
Finally commonsense has prevailed and the trucks are back on the road delivering essential supplies to some of Australia’s most remote and vulnerable communities. Massive thank you to Hawkins Transport for providing this essential service for so many years and tenaciously fighting to ensure its’ continuation. Fellas, I take my hat off to you. Great job
The Albanese government’s attack on backpackers is illogical at best and, at worst, just down right stupid. Overwhelmingly the pathway to permanent migration is through the student visa scheme and not backpackers. In our regions backpackers pick our fruit, pour our beers, clean our hotel rooms and make our coffees… they spend monies earnt exploring our wonderful country. Very few stay and those that do integrate into our communities. Backpackers must be encouraged and welcomed into Australia … they are NOT and should never be considered to be part of the backdoor migration cohort. They’re just here for a good time… not a long time. And for that I thank them for coming here, doing the work, spending the money and having the adventure.
In the north we can pay up to 4 times the cost for insurance as is paid in the rest of Australia. 20% northern homes are uninsured (more than double Australia’s average). Of the homes that are insured 83% are under insured - meaning that insurance won’t cover rebuilding costs. THIS IS NOT JUST CONCERNING… THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. Further exacerbated by the Federal government tightening the purse strings on much needed disaster funds. We need legislation change to get more insurers offering affordable insurance in the north. That is why the cyclone reinsurance pool was introduced... That is what government should be doing.
For eight years, the KAP has pushed relocation sentencing for serious repeat youth offenders. We were told no. We were asked why we kept talking about it. Well, this is why.... The LNP Government has now adopted our policy and passed it into law and credit where it’s due, they’ve followed through. It won’t solve youth crime on its own, but getting serious repeat offenders out of the environments driving their offending and into structured programs is an important part of the solution. It also puts to bed the claim that the KAP can’t achieve anything outside of government. Next up Castle Law!
Today Bob called on government to ban the importation of goods produced under slave labour wages or child labour. This could be a game changer for Australia’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors, and stopping the importation on goods, like bananas, we don’t want or need. Government agreed… Now we MUST ensure their actions meet their words.
