| The Honourable Bob Katter MP |
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|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Kennedy |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 March 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Rob Hulls |
| Member of the Queensland Parliament for Flinders |
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| In office 7 December 1974 – 25 August 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Lonergan |
| Succeeded by | seat abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 May 1945 Cloncurry, Queensland |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | National (1974 – 2001) Independent (2001 – 2011) Katter's Australian Party (2011 – present) |
| Relations | Bob Katter, Sr. (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupation | Labourer, Grazier |
| Religion | Roman Catholic[1] |
| Website | Katter's Australian Party website |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | Citizens Military Force |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 11th Brigade |
Robert Carl "Bob" Katter (born 22 May 1945) is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party. He began his parliamentary career as a member of the National Party of Australia, but left the party in 2001 and continues to hold the seat as an independent. On 3 June 2011 Katter applied for registration of Katter's Australian Party with the Australian Electoral Commission.[2] Katter will sit as the only federal parliamentary member of his new party when it is formally registered. Prior to his election to federal politics, Katter was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, from 1974 to 1992, representing the seat of Flinders, Queensland for the National Party. Katter was a Minister in the Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen-led National Party government, holding various portfolios between 1983 and 1989.[3]
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Katter was born in Cloncurry, Queensland, the son of Bob Katter, Sr., who was the member for Kennedy from 1966 to 1990. Katter is of Maronite Catholic Lebanese descent[4] and is said to be a distant relative of the world renowned poet Khalil Gibran.[5] He was an investor in cattle and mining interests before entering politics via the Queensland state parliament in 1974.
During their 1964 Australian tour, The Beatles were pelted by eggs from some unknown assailants. Katter, then a university student, later came forward and admitted his involvement, in what he explained was an "intellectual reaction against Beatlemania."[6]
Katter was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral district of Flinders from 1974 to 1992. In Queensland, he was Minister for Northern Development and Aboriginal and Islander Affairs from 1983 to 1987, Minister for Northern Development, Community Services and Ethnic Affairs from 1987 to 1989, Minister for Community Services and Ethnic Affairs in 1989, Minister for Mines and Energy in 1989, and Minister for Northern and Regional Development for a brief time in 1989 until the Nationals were defeated in that year's election.[3] While in the Queensland Parliament, Katter junior was a strong supporter of Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.[7]
Katter's father was a member of the Australian Labor Party until 1957, when he left during the Labor split of that year and joined the Queensland Labor Party, which later became part of the Democratic Labor Party. He later joined the Country Party, the forerunner of the National Party.
Katter did not run for reelection to his state seat in 1992, having decided to run for his father's old seat in Canberra. He faced Labor's Rob Hulls, who had succeeded his father upon retirement. Despite name recognition, Katter trailed Hulls for most of the night. However, on the eighth count, a Liberal candidate's preferences flowed overwhelmingly to Katter, allowing him to defeat Hulls by 4,000 votes.[8] He was handily reelected in 1996 and 1998.
When he transferred to federal politics, he found himself increasingly out of sympathy with the federal Liberal and National parties on economic and social issues. In 2001 he resigned from the National Party and easily retained his seat as an independent at the general elections of 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010, each time ending up with almost 70 percent of the vote after preferences were distributed. He presently holds the seat with an 18-point majority, making it the fourth-safest seat in Australia.
On 5 June 2011 Katter launched a new political party, Katter's Australian Party, which he said would "unashamedly represent agriculture".[9]
Bob Katter also made headlines after singing on 17 October 2011 during a meeting to his party's candidates, saying it was his "election jingle".[10]
Katter is known as an unabashed social conservative. On economic issues, like his father Katter retains elements of socialist political views from the 1950s, including opposition to privatisation and economic deregulation.
In November 1989, Katter claimed there were no homosexuals in North Queensland. He promised to walk backwards from Bourke if there were any.[11] Katter voted against the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act, 1994, which decriminalised homosexuality in Tasmania.[12]
In 1996, Katter supported his National Party colleague Bob Burgess against critics after Burgess made controversial comments including a characterisation of Australian citizenship ceremonies as "dewogging". Katter described critics of Burgess as "little slanty-eyed idealogues who persecute ordinary average Australians."[13] Two weeks later, Katter complained that it was "nigh on impossible" to send children from his area to boarding schools "unless you're rich or unless you happen to be of Aboriginal descent".[13] Pauline Hanson later said that Katter would be welcome to join her One Nation party if he wanted to leave the Coalition.[14]
In 1997, Katter advocated changing the Child Support Scheme to lessen the financial maintenance obligations for non-custodial parents. He claimed there was an "anti-male bias" in the scheme, and that "in 90 per cent of cases the bloke has done nothing wrong [and] the woman was at fault".[15]
An opponent of the tougher gun control laws introduced in the wake of the 1996 massacre in Port Arthur, Tasmania, Katter was accused in 2001 of signing a petition promoted by the Citizens Electoral Council (CEC), an organisation that claims the Port Arthur massacre was a conspiracy.[16]
He is critical of climate change and has been an opponent against enacting legislation to control emissions. "I mean, if you could imagine 20 or 30 crocodiles up there on the roof, and if all that roof was illumination, and saying that we wouldn't see anything in this room because of a few croco-roaches up there", he continued, "are you telling me seriously that the world is going to warm because there's 400 parts per million of CO2 up there?" [17]
Katter has supported ethanol fuel subsidies, is against the importation of bananas into Australia, and wants to smash the supermarket duopoly of Coles and Woolworths.[18]
In the aftermath of the 2010 federal election, Katter offered a range of views on the way forward for a minority government with the support of three former members of the National Party, Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and himself, who were all re-elected as independent members of parliament from rural electorates.[19] Katter stated his vote would go to "whoever gives us the right to survive". He presented a document titled 20 points and asked the major parties to respond before deciding which party he would support. The sobriquet 'Mad Katter' was coined by the media to describe Katter and his ideas.[20][21][22]
On 7 September 2010 Katter announced his support for a Liberal/National Party coalition minority government.[23]
In August 2011 Katter said the prospect of same-sex marriage "deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed".[24] The following week, his half-brother Carl, who is gay, spoke to Channel Ten, saying of Katter's comments "It's hurtful, it's dangerous, it's damaging, and it's really inappropriate."[25]
| Parliament of Queensland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Lonergan |
Member for Flinders 1974 – 1992 |
District abolished |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Valmond Bird |
Minister for Northern Development and Aboriginal and Island Affairs 1983 – 1986 |
Succeeded by Himself |
| Vacant
Title next held by
Anne Warneras Minister for Aboriginal and Islander Affairs |
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| Preceded by Himself |
Minister for Northern Development and Community Services 1986 – 1987 |
Succeeded by Himself |
| Preceded by John Herbert as Minister for Community Services |
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| Preceded by Himself |
Minister for Northern Development, Community Services and Ethnic Affairs 1987 – 1989 |
Succeeded by Himself |
| Preceded by Michael Ahern as Minister for Ethnic Affairs |
Succeeded by Martin Tenni as Minister for Northern Development |
|
| Preceded by Himself |
Minister for Community Services and Ethnic Affairs 1989 |
Succeeded by Thomas Gilmore |
| Preceded by Martin Tenni |
Minister for Mines and Energy 1989 |
Succeeded by Thomas Gilmore as Minister for Mines |
| Succeeded by Tony McGrady as Minister for Energy |
||
| Preceded by Thomas Gilmore |
Minister for Northern and Regional Development 1989 |
Succeeded by Keith De Lacy as Minister for Regional Development |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by Rob Hulls |
Member for Kennedy 1993–present |
Incumbent |
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