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New York Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Children in remote communities denied seats on near-empty ‘Indigenous-only' charter flights
The Australian government will review charter flight arrangements for students living in remote outback communities after claims non-Indigenous students were prevented from boarding planes because they were not ABSTUDY recipients. Derek Lord, a father of two boys living in the far north west Queensland town of Normanton about five hours north of Mt Isa and eight hours west of Cairns in the Gulf of Carpentaria, said his sons faced a 'six-day ordeal' to get home after they were not allowed to purchase seats on a nearly empty, taxpayer-funded flight. Advertisement 7 Derek Lord said his sons faced a 'six-day ordeal' to get home after they were not allowed to purchase seats on a nearly empty, taxpayer-funded flight. Lord, who is the Air Traffic Services Reporting Officer at the tiny Normanton Airport, said he regularly sees 20-seat planes arriving with fewer than half the seats occupied. But he claims his two sons, who board at school in Charters Towers, 90 minutes southwest of Townsville, have been turned away from those same flights because they're not ABSTUDY recipients. 'My boys have been left sitting at the airport, bags packed, because they weren't allowed on a plane with empty seats,' Lord said in a statement via Katter's Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter. Advertisement 'We'd gladly pay for those seats — anything to avoid the six-day ordeal we have to go through with commercial flights to get them home for the holidays when roads were cut off due to flooding.' ABSTUDY, introduced in 1969, is a federal government scheme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that offers education-related financial assistance, including course fees and travel costs for students who study away from home. 7 Lord said he regularly sees 20-seat planes arriving with fewer than half the seats occupied. Robbie Katter MP/Facebook Katter has slammed the new school charter flight arrangement as fundamentally flawed and unfair, describing it as a system that fosters division and fails to meet the needs of remote communities. Advertisement 'This is not an Indigenous problem. It's a remote living problem,' Katter said. 'When you've got families living in the same town, sending their kids to the same school, but being treated differently — that's wrong. It risks creating division in communities where it doesn't exist.' Katter said the situation had been made worse by the government's decision to hand the contract to a UK-based operator with no local experience, replacing long-time provider Volantair. 'We had a capable, locally based operator with 20 years' experience and regional knowledge,' he said. Advertisement 'Now we've got a foreign company charging up to $1157 per ABSTUDY seat — almost triple what a regular flight costs — and delivering a shambolic service.' 7 'This is not an Indigenous problem. It's a remote living problem,' Katter said. Google Maps The new operator, Air Charter Services, was appointed last year by Corporate Travel Management (CTM), which is responsible for the ABSTUDY charter contract. Air Charter Services and CTM have been contacted for comment. Since the change, according to Katter, planes had shown up without passengers to collect, flights had gone unused, and single-engine aircraft without weather radar had been deployed into some of Queensland's toughest flying conditions. 'Kids are being left stranded, rural and remote families are being ignored,' Katter said. 'It's time these services were made available to any child living remotely — not just those eligible under a narrow government program — and returned to experienced local operators who know the land, know the people, and care about the outcomes.' 7 The new operator, Air Charter Services, was appointed last year by CTM, which is responsible for the ABSTUDY charter contract. Robbie Katter MP/Facebook Advertisement Speaking to 2GB's Ben Fordham on Tuesday, Lord said he had even tried paying for seats on the planes but his sons were denied 'because they don't fall under ABSTUDY'. 'The carrier even agreed to take our money but the booking company that now does it, which is overseas, refused to allow our children to get on because they don't meet the criteria,' he said. 'We don't understand it either. It's taxpayer-funded. Even if we weren't willing to pay, the plane is coming here, it's being paid for by everyone's taxes whether you're Indigenous or non-Indigenous, the kids are from the same town.' Lord noted 'we're in the middle of a flood crisis and we couldn't get in our out', recounting the tortuous journey home for his sons. Advertisement 'So there was no way to get our kids home unless it's on a private charter ourselves, or through Rex, and Rex can be up to two, three weeks waiting for a seat,' he said. 7 Lord noted 'we're in the middle of a flood crisis and we couldn't get in our out', recounting the tortuous journey home for his sons. Google Maps 'We would have to bus them down to Townsville and then either bus them or plane them up to Cairns, and then they'd have to sit in Cairns over the weekend because there's no Rex flights, and then they'd have to fly home on Rex if we could get a Monday or Tuesday flight, and that's a big if.' He said 'even Indigenous leaders here don't understand it'. Advertisement 'I don't think it's about reconciliation, I think it's more about that the system is broken,' he said. 'The gap is not a gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous per se, it's regional versus non-regional. If you actually compared the two I think you'd find many of the non-Indigenous kids and families have the same disadvantages as Indigenous people in rural or remote communities.' Lord added that son's girlfriend was Indigenous and 'the first time this happened, she got on one flight and he had to get on the other'. 7 'I don't think it's about reconciliation, I think it's more about that the system is broken,' Lord said. Robbie Katter MP/Facebook Advertisement Fordham said it was 'absolutely mad'. 'Just put the kids on the same damn plane,' he said. A spokeswoman for Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek told the matter was being reviewed. 'The ABSTUDY program was introduced in 1969 by Liberal National Prime Minister John Gorton to help Indigenous students from very remote communities get access to education,' she said. 7 A spokeswoman for Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek told the matter was being reviewed. Getty Images 'Charter flights are only used where it is the cheapest or most cost effective alternative, from very remote communities. The allocation of spare seats is a matter for the charter company. The government agrees that empty seats should be made available for other students or community members to purchase where safe and practical to do so. The Minister will request updated advice from her department on this issue to ensure charter fees reflect value for money.' The Department of Finance, which manages all the whole of the Australian government travel contract, has previously clarified that CTM has no exclusive agreements with charter companies and will choose charter providers for the ABSTUDY program based on the needs of ABSTUDY travelers. 'CTM has encouraged competition through the expansion of charters available to be booked for the government, including the ABSTUDY program,' a spokeswoman for the department told Cairns Post last year. 'They have also recently included an additional 12 new charter service providers to the program, including two Indigenous businesses.'
1News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Crocodile Hunter's dad fires up over culling proposal
The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Bob Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. ADVERTISEMENT "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing today. Terri Irwin and Bob Irwin accept a posthumous honorary professorship from the University of Queensland on behalf of the late Steve Irwin in 2007. (Source: Getty) The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Bob Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Bob Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. ADVERTISEMENT His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. A freshwater Crocodile pictured in Queensland, Australia. (Source: Getty) The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee today. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling programme. ADVERTISEMENT "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. ADVERTISEMENT The committee report is due in August.
7NEWS
12-06-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Crocodile Hunter's dad Bob Irwin fires up over culling proposal
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's father has lashed calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws allowing crocodiles found in populated sites to be killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had 'exploded' in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was 'fit for purpose'. Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. 'Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless,' he told the hearing on Wednesday Katter's Australian Party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared with 126 in 2010. Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a 'juvenile delinquent' would move in and took over. 'You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there,' he said. Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before his tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. 'No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim,' Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was 'no greater group' to aid a pilot culling program. 'We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them,' the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. 'But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well.' Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August.
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Crocodile Hunter's dad fires up over culling proposal
The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Mr Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing on Wednesday The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Mr Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Mr Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling program. "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Mr Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August. The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Mr Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing on Wednesday The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Mr Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Mr Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling program. "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Mr Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August. The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Mr Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing on Wednesday The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Mr Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Mr Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling program. "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Mr Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August. The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Mr Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing on Wednesday The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Mr Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Mr Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling program. "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Mr Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August.
Sky News AU
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Wild quarrel over Queensland croc culling bill emerges as Bob Irwin Snr unleashes on maverick politician Bob Katter
A fierce debate over a controversial Queensland crocodile culling bill is heating up, with Bob Irwin Snr not holding back about his feelings towards federal 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.
