Wild quarrel over Queensland croc culling bill emerges as Bob Irwin Snr unleashes on maverick politician Bob Katter
The Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill 2025 introduced to Queensland's parliament by Katter's Australian Party (KAP) in February would legalise the culling of crocodiles in the state.
Debate over the proposed legislation has now boiled over, with Mr Katter and KAP now publicly trading jabs with the Irwin family following a lengthy submission on the bill by Australia Zoo.
The father of Australian conservationist icon Steve Irwin has told The Courier Mail he thinks Mr Katter is 'a d***head', telling the masthead to 'put it on record'.
'....and you can actually tell him who said it as well,' Mr Irwin said on Wednesday.
'He's not listening to the people that know, he has no idea of how the environment works, and that's his problem.'
The heated comments from the 86-year-old came after he appeared at Queensland's parliament for a hearing regarding crocodile management, according to the masthead.
The Australia Zoo founder's daughter-in-law Terri Irwin has spoken out about the culling proposal, calling the bill "lazy and sloppy" in a submission on the bill.
She claimed the legislation would increase the likelihood of crocodile attacks on people, and slammed the proposal as being an attempt to 'recycle old draft legislation'.
Mr Katter last week hit back at Ms Irwin for her criticism of his party's bill, calling out Australia Zoo for keeping the reptiles in captivity.
'She knows all about it, well I'm a bit fascinated by that. How would you know about crocodiles if you live in Brisbane?,' the federal member for Kennedy said in a video posted on social media.
'Oh that's right, she's got them all locked up in a cage in Brisbane, I'd forgotten about that.'
The maverick politician's son and KAP leader Robbie Katter took to social media on Wednesday to address Ms Irwin over the remarks detailed in the submission.
'You make money out of crocodiles by keeping them in cages. I don't know what qualifies you to give advice on the way we live up north,' the party leader said in a Facebook post.
Earlier on Wednesday, a cartoon was posted on the KAP Facebook page that appeared to show Ms Irwin, the ghost of Steve Irwin, and a crocodile angrily staring at a KAP member holding a gun with 'Cull Plan' written on it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Your street cred has been spent': Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's top 10 Australian songs list divides social media
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stirred up debate online after revealing his top 10 Australian songs of all time as part of Triple J's upcoming Hottest 100 vote. Posting to Instagram on Thursday, the 67-year-old Labor leader shared his list, which leaned heavily on classic pub rock and '90s indie anthems. "Hard to narrow down to just 10," Albanese wrote, placing The Angels' iconic track 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again' in the number one spot. Also featured were 'Flame Trees' by Cold Chisel at number two, 'Dogs Are The Best People' by The Fauves at three, and 'Cattle and Cane' by The Go-Betweens in fourth place. Midnight Oil's politically-charged 'Beds Are Burning' and Paul Kelly's storytelling ballad 'How to Make Gravy' also made the cut. According to Triple J, the special edition countdown, which airs on July 26, is "dedicated to the homegrown artists and tracks that have resonated across generations, and helped define our nation's sound". While some praised the PM's musical taste and joined in with their own suggestions, many others weren't impressed, particularly those angry over what they saw as a lack of attention to serious global and domestic issues. Most of the criticism came from supporters of the 'Free Palestine' movement. "Your PR team going in overdrive to try and make you seem human/ relatable… but there is NOTHING relatable to a PM who has absolutely lost touch with his humanity," one user wrote. "Seriously??? This is what gets posted??? Far out. What a disgrace," said another. "We don't care, Albo. All of your street cred has been spent #freepalestine," a third wrote, while another simply added: "Cringe. Genocide Albo." Others used the moment to comment on their desire for a Treaty between the Government and First Nations peoples. "Still no Treaty?" one follower asked, while another added: "How about Treaty by Yothu Yindi? It's time!" Still, there was support in the comments too, with users welcoming the list as a bit of fun and an insight into the PM's personal taste. "Albo mate wheres Carrion by Parkway Drive," one user joked. "Respect to Albo!" said another. "All beauties, but so many more gems missing… I can't even make a top 10!" added a third. The post even earned the attention of the artists involved. "I'm glad Albo picked Flame Trees," Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes told The Australian. "It's a great song and he's a great leader. Maybe he could lead us all into singing the chorus. Come on Anthony, let's sing!" The Angels' guitarist Rick Brewster also weighed in, saying: "It's an honour to be included with all these amazing artists." He joked about the track's famous crowd chant, "No way, Get f****d, F**k off!" suggesting Albanese may have had a hand in its origins. "How Face Again took such a sharp left turn when the well-known chant began is anyone's guess. No internet, no mobile phones… just good old Aussie bush telegraph! Maybe you started it, Anthony?" Known for his love of spinning tracks as alter ego 'DJ Albo', the Prime Minister has long expressed his passion for music. Late last year, he shared his Spotify Wrapped list of favourite 2024 tracks, all by Australian artists. That list, which saw Melbourne artist G Flip's Australia taking top spot, also sparked backlash from followers. "Is he for real?" one X user wrote in response at the time. "I'm not interested in your music selections. I'm more interested in what your selections for our country are," said another. Still, there were those who defended the post. "Come on, even the PM is allowed to have some fun," one user said.
West Australian
6 hours ago
- West Australian
Australian news and politics live: Industry leaders call on Albanese to stand firm on Trump tariff talks
Scroll down for the latest news and updates. Qantas has issued a new statement after a major cyber attack compromised the personal data of up to six million customers. The breach, discovered on June 30, involved a cybercriminal targeting a third-party platform used by a Qantas contact centre, exposing names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers. Group CEO Vanessa Hudson acknowledged the seriousness of the incident, saying, 'We know that data breaches can feel deeply personal and understand the genuine concern this creates for our customers. Right now we're focused on providing the answers and transparency they deserve.' She added, 'Our investigation is progressing well with our cybersecurity teams working alongside leading external specialists to determine what information has been accessed.' Qantas has apologised to customers, is contacting those affected directly, and has set up a dedicated support line for identity protection advice and updates as the investigation continues. Industry leaders are calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to hold firm in trade negotiations with the US as Donald Trump's 90-day tariff freeze nears its end. With the US recently striking a tariff deal with Vietnam, Australian exporters remain concerned about ongoing uncertainty and the risk of increased costs. Despite the Albanese government proposing $50 million in support for affected sectors, business groups are eager to see strong leadership and clear allocation of funds. Economists warn that even if more deals are reached, 'exporters and importers are likely to continue facing high uncertainty for months and quarters to come.' 'Fundamentally, Australia has nothing to apologise for here,' said Andrew McKellar, Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 'Honestly, I don't think there's anything more that could have been done by the Australian government, here or through our mission in Washington.' National Farmers' Federation president David Jochinke added, 'We've stood staunchly behind the federal government's principles-based approach when negotiating trade and tariffs and encourage them to continue this method.'
9 News
8 hours ago
- 9 News
How a meme could land you in hot water at the US border
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here It's every traveller's worst fear. You arrive in a new country after a long flight, line up for hours and present your passport – only to be pulled aside by an immigration officer. There have been multiple reports of Australian travellers being refused entry into the United States over seemingly frivolous reasons. There have been multiple reports recently of Australian travellers being refused entry into the US. (Anadolu via Getty Images) Some said they were asked to hand over their phone so officers can downloads its contents. One Norwegian man claimed he was denied because he had an unflattering meme of US Vice President JD Vance on his phone. An Australian writer, Alistair Kitchen, reported last month he was sent home after being interrogated about his blogging on political protests. He later claimed officials found "evidence of drug use" on his phone and he felt coerced into admitting he had tried drugs in the past. The threat of being detained and sent back home now lingers for Australians hoping to holiday in the US. But are immigration officers really ramping up their efforts to stop Australians and other nationalities from entering the US under the Trump administration? Melbourne-based immigration lawyer Sherwin Noorian told US officials are simply flexing a legal muscle that has always existed. Melbourne-based immigration lawyer Sherwin Noorian, principal lawyer of Globalised Pty Ltd. (Supplied) But Noorian said travellers shouldn't feel coerced into admitting prior drug use or their political beliefs to an immigration officer. "The US has very strict controlled substances laws for non-citizens who are travelling to the US, so even admitting to using marijuana once in one's home country… they can use that against the traveller and deny them entry," Noorian explained. "There's a bit of nuance to it and it may not legally stand up, but they can kind of do whatever they want at that point." Noorian's advice is to never "incriminate yourself" if you've never been convicted of anything. He's also noticed an "anecdotal" rise in reported cases of travellers being detained and their phones confiscated. It's always been done, but he posits the theory that immigration officers could now be using an "advanced computing system to scan the devices for anything they deem suspicious or of concern". He also said travellers do have a right to refuse a request to give up their phone, but warns this could result in automatic entry refusal. "It's a condition of entry, so to speak, that you would hand over that device when asked," he added. Noorian said travellers shouldn't feel coerced into admitting prior drug use or their political beliefs to an immigration officer. (Anadolu via Getty Images) Noorian said he is aware of reports that travellers are being turned away at the border over phone content that is critical of the Trump administration, including memes or political posts. He suspects travellers who have been granted an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver may be flagged and interrogated at the border for a variety of reasons and sometimes it's not hard to find one that sticks. "That could be used, especially if they're high-profile, as a reason to take someone aside to question them and give them a hard time," he said. "If they're those types of officers who, and not all of them are like this, but some would be looking for people who are against the administration or against what they deem to be the US interest, they would use that as a reason to question someone and begin that interview." A meme alone wouldn't be enough to deny entry, Noorian said. "But through the course of that [interview], they would begin looking for what they can use to build a case to deny entry," he added. Noorian said the ESTA, which most Australians use to enter the US, does not guarantee entry. The first time a traveller is genuinely assessed under an ESTA, he said, is once you land on US soil. "For most people, they wait until they're in the country and then they say, 'OK, we're going to assess you for your eligibility to enter,'" he said. "I think the Smartraveller advice on this is really quite accurate when they say, be aware that the US authorities have a high level of discretion for visa waiver entries. "It means even more for an Australian traveller than someone coming from Canada or the UK." Most Australian travellers enter the US under the ESTA visa waiver. (PA Images via Getty Images) The current Smartraveller advice for Australians travelling to the US warns that "entry requirements are strict". "US authorities have broad powers to decide if you're eligible to enter and may determine that you are inadmissible for any reason under US law," the advice reads. All hope is not lost for a US holiday if you're denied entry under an ESTA, though. Noorian said he's had cases of clients being refused entry but then able to enter the US through a visitor visa obtained via the US consulate. "It's not a lifetime ban, they can reapply, but in this environment, it depends on the circumstances," he added. "If they admitted to drug use, that could be a big problem. "But it can be overcome. We've done that before." US Homeland Security officials have disputed that a Norwegian tourist was denied entry due to a meme and said he was turned away for admitting to drug use. Australia USA US POLITICS Donald Trump Travel immigration law CONTACT US Property News: Sixteen-person rental sparks outrage in US.
