Katter's Australian Party

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Katter's Australian Party
Leader Bob Katter
(federal)
Founder Bob Katter MP
Founded 2011
Headquarters Brisbane
Ideology Social conservatism[1]
Protectionism[1]
Developmentalism
Keynesianism
Colours Red  
House of Representatives
1 / 150
Senate
0 / 76
Queensland Parliament
3 / 89
Website
www.ausparty.org.au
Politics of Australia
Political parties
Elections

Katter's Australian Party is a registered[2] political party in Australia. It was formed by the independent Federal Member of Parliament Bob Katter with a registration application lodged to the Australian Electoral Commission on 3 June 2011.[3] It won two seats at the March 2012 state election in Queensland.

Policies[edit]

The party's policies closely mirror those of Katter, including support for industry (both agricultural and manufacturing) and opposition to privatisation and deregulation.

The party's first policies announced by Katter include:

  • Opposition to the carbon tax and emission trading schemes.[4]
  • Support for alternative energy such as ethanol and solar energy.[3]
  • Legislate to limit Woolworths and Coles duopoly to 22.5 per cent market share each.[3]
  • Halt any privatisation and renationalise privatised assets.[3]
  • All government spending on goods to be on Australian products where possible.[3]
  • Ensure that any construction contracts undertaken using Australian government funds will use Australian steel.
  • Prevent the extraction of coal seam gas within three kilometers of an aquifer.
  • Every motor vehicle purchased under a government contract (arguably over 20% of Australia's motor vehicles) will be Australian made.
  • All clothing for Armed Forces, Police, Prisons to be manufactured in Australia.
  • Maintain government support for Australia's domestic ethanol industry and mandate the use of ethanol in petrol; in order to curb Australia's carbon footprint and to support native grain and sugar industries.
  • Restore vital irrigation water to agriculture in the Murray Darling Basin.
  • No exploration or mining activity will be permitted on landholders' property without the landholder's consent.
  • Implement "orderly" marketing where industry structures undermine reasonable market power to producers (as perceived currently in dairy, egg and sugar industries).
  • Significantly increase customs duty on products coming into Australia.[3]
  • Restore individual rights, such as "fishing freely and boiling a billy without a permit".[5]
  • Government must ensure that all workers, especially farmers, are able to collectively bargain for their own economic interests.[4]
  • Government must stop the use of 457 visas by big business as a means to replace or undermine Australian workers and Australian award pay and conditions.
  • Mandate premium shelf space on Australian supermarkets for Australian manufactured goods.
  • Promote the construction of new dams for irrigation and hydro electricity generation.
  • Deliver better road and rail infrastructure to facilitate regional investment.
  • Deliver more effective and efficient power transmission networks.
  • Establish a government-owned development bank to facilitate investment into productive industries.
  • Increase bio-security and quarantine laws, in order to maintain Australia's disease free status.
  • Prevent the sale of essential assets, public or private, including agricultural land and resource assets, to foreign companies and/or sovereign entities without caveats to protect the national interest.
  • Government must ensure and limit against corporate monopolisation.[4]
  • Essential services such as air travel, water, electricity, gas, health services, road networks, public transport and communications should be provided by government.[4]
  • Personal home ownership must be made easier by government implemented policies.[4]
  • It is the duty of government to ensure bank lending creates real wealth in terms of improvements of the quality of life for the average Australian.[4]
  • It the responsibility of the government encourage and protect whistle blowers as an important method of discovery of the real health and performance of the public sector; and implement regular, random, independent and external professional audits of the public service sector.

The party is opposed by the bulk of the Labor, the Liberal/National Coalition and the Greens political advertisements.

Although Katter himself is known to be a staunch social conservative, the party (mostly) does not actively pursue socially conservative policies, focusing mainly on economic issues. Although social conservatism is usually associated with issues such as abortion, the party doesn't have a position on this (or most solely social policy issues) - as it is considered a matter of social conscience for individual party members.

Many of the party's economic stances echo 1950s Labor policy, reflecting the roots of Katter's father, Bob, Sr. in Labor.

Name[edit]

On 17 August 2011 the party's application for registration was denied by the Australian Electoral Commission, on the grounds that the intended abbreviated party name ("The Australian Party") was too generic and likely to cause confusion.[6] On 27 September 2011, Katter's Australian Party was registered by the Australian Electoral Commission.[7] Although, unsuccessful in registering the "The Australian Party" abbreviated party name nationally, the party's simultaneous application to register in Queensland succeed with the abbreviated name despite a few public objections.[8] Under Queensland electoral law it is only the abbreviated party name which appears on the state election ballots. To avoid ballot-box party names varying, depending on Australian State, the KAP unsuccessfully appealed to the courts to have ballots reprinted so that the full party name and not the abbreviated party name would appear on ballots for the 2012 Queensland state election.[9]

Queensland state politics[edit]

The party fielded candidates at the 2012 Queensland state election.[3] Queensland Independent MP Rob Messenger had expressed interest in joining the party,[10] however following the merger with the Queensland Party, Messenger declared he would not join the new party as it intended to run against sitting independents at the election.[11]

On 9 August 2011, Katter's Australian Party announced plans to merge with state Beaudesert MP Aidan McLindon's Queensland Party, with Katter's party as the surviving entity. As part of the deal, McLindon became Queensland state leader of Katter's Australian Party.[12][13]

On 30 October 2011 McLindon was joined by Shane Knuth, the LNP member for Dalrymple, who said the LNP had not been beneficial for rural and the LNP merger had been a Liberal takeover that had been "disastrous" for regional representation, with rural MPs having no say. Knuth also stated that stand-over tactics and secret LNP files on Labor MPs, that included information such as sexual behaviour, as having influenced his decision.[14]

In the 2012 Queensland state election the party won two of the 76 seats it contested, with Knuth holding Dalrymple and Rob Katter winning Mount Isa, although McLindon was defeated in Beaudesert. Katter claimed that the Electoral Commission's decision not to print his name on the ballot cost the party 8.5% of the vote.[15]

On 25 November 2012 the party was joined by Condamine LNP MP Ray Hopper, claiming that the LNP had been a takeover by the old Liberal Party at the expense of the National Party. Hopper claimed to have spoken to eight other government MPs who were considering defection.[16] On 29 November Hopper was elected party leader.[17]

2013 Federal Election[edit]

In the 2013 federal election, Katter's Australian Party received 1.04% of the nationwide vote in first preferences in the lower house, and 0.89% nationwide in the Senate.[18] Its best performing state was Queensland with 3.75% of the lower house vote and 2.94% of the Senate vote.

Bob Katter retained his seat of Kennedy, despite a 16% swing in favour of the Liberal Nationals.[19]

Other states[edit]

The Tasmanian Branch which is lead by Glenorchy Alderman Jenny Branch-Allen claims to have received many expressions of interest by potential candidates for the 2013 federal election.[20]

South Australian Upper House member Ann Bressington joined the party in October 2013 and will sponsor it to be registered for the 2014 state election.

Parliamentary leaders[edit]

Federal[edit]

Leader Term Leader's seat
Bob Katter 2011–present Kennedy

Queensland[edit]

Leader Term Leader's seat
Aidan McLindon 2011–2012 Beaudesert
Rob Katter 2012 Mount Isa
Ray Hopper 2012–present Condamine

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Whitford, Troy (2 November 2011), "Don’t write off the Mad Katter’s Tea Party", The Conversation, retrieved 24 March 2012 
  2. ^ Melinda Howells (23 September 2011). Katter's Australian Party gets registration. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Lion, Patrick (4 June 2011). "Queensland MP Bob Katter registered Katter's Australian Party with the Australian Electoral Commission". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Core Values and Principles". Katter's Australian Party. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
  5. ^ Lion, Patrick (4 June 2011). "Bob Katter launches the Australian Party to take on the big boys". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
  6. ^ "Application for party registration refused - Katter's Australian Party". AEC. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  7. ^ "Bob Katter's party registered with AEC". news.com.au (News Limited). 27 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011. 
  8. ^ http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/political_parties.aspx?id=4753
  9. ^ "Court rejects Katter party's ballot case". news.com.au (News Limited). 8 March 2012. 
  10. ^ Agius, Kym (6 June 2011). "Qld MP mulls move to Katter's party". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
  11. ^ Adcock, Frances; Hegarty, Laura (10 August 2011). "Messenger snubs merged Katter party". ABC Online. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 
  12. ^ Binnie, Kerrin (10 August 2011). "Katter talks up party merger". ABC Online. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 
  13. ^ Houghton, Des (11 August 2011). "Queensland Party may cease to exist as leader Aidan McLindon plans to join Bob Katter's Australian Party". Courier Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2011. 
  14. ^ Jessica Marszalek (30 October 2011). "LNP MP defects to Katter's Australian Party". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
  15. ^ Kym Agius (4 June 2012). "Nominations open for Katter’s federal bid". The Age (Melbourne). 
  16. ^ Madigan, Michael (25 November 2012). "LNP veteran Ray Hopper resigns to join Katter's Australian Party". Courier Mail. Retrieved 25 November 2012. 
  17. ^ "Hopper endorsed as Katter Party state leader". 
  18. ^ "First Preferences by Party". AEC. Retrieved 18 October 2013. 
  19. ^ Horn, Allyson. "Big swing against Bob Katter in his seat of Kennedy". ABC. Retrieved 8 September 2013. 
  20. ^ Richards, Blair (25 November 2012). "The Gospel according to Bob". The Mercury. Retrieved 25 November 2012. 

External links[edit]
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