Latest news with #BobKatter
AU Financial Review
06-07-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
AWU calls for smelter strategy amid growing crises
The Australian Workers Union has backed calls for a strategy to manage the billions of dollars being sought to prop up fiscally troubled metal smelters as maverick independent MP Bob Katter pushes for government intervention at Glencore's Mount Isa copper operations. National secretary Paul Farrow said the AWU would welcome a smelting strategy under Labor's Future Made in Australia policy, with equity or long-term loans on the table for business being forced to weather global markets being distorted by China and others.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Steve Irwin's father delivers brutal message to Bob Katter as feud over crocodile cull boils over: 'He's not listening'
The father of Steve Irwin has joined his estranged family to slam Bob Katter and his calls to cull crocodiles. Bob Irwin Senior came out swinging on Wednesday to label the outspoken MP a 'd***head'. Katter's Australian Party (KAP) introduced the Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill 2025 in February to the Queensland Government. The aim of the proposed law is to 'eliminate crocodiles which pose a threat to human life' while protecting them from going extinct. The move has prompted outrage from the Irwin family with Bob the latest member to publicly share his opposition to it. 'He's not listening to the people that know. He has no idea of how the environment works and that's his problem,' the Australia Zoo founder told The Courier Mail. Bob had spoken at state parliament earlier in the day against the legislation. 'Steve and I have learnt from the word go that if you want to be successful with anything you want to do with crocodiles, you've got to get inside their head figuratively,' he said. 'So we spent a lot of time doing nothing else but observing what crocodiles do.' Bob added there have been previous situations where someone calls for the culling of crocodiles, but said people did not listen to researchers and scientists. Katter's son and KAP leader Robbie defended the bill while taking aim at the Irwin family. He claimed they were 'entertainers' with little understanding of regional communities' fears. He also told state parliament his father's knowledge came from speaking to his constituents in north Queensland. Although estranged from his son's wife and children, Bob's statements echoed that of Terri, who submitted a letter to the government criticising the proposed law. His daughter-in-law described the bill as 'more dangerous than previous efforts' to argue in favour of culling crocodile populations. 'It is such a lazy and sloppy attempt to recycle old draft legislation,' Terri said. In issuing her comments, Terri came under fire from Katter on Friday. 'How would you know all about crocodiles if you live in Brisbane?' he said in a video published to Facebook. 'Oh that's right, she's got them all locked up in a cage in Brisbane.' KAP MP for Hill Shane Knuth, who submitted the bill, joined the pile-on. 'The Irwin's built a multimillion dollar business off the back of crocodiles,' he wrote on social media. 'And now they're lecturing North Queenslanders on how to enjoy our recreational waterways while they're infested with crocs - and getting worse. 'Spare us the patronising 'Crocwise' slogans. We don't need a zoo telling us how to survive in our own backyard.' The Irwin family feud began 13 years ago when Bob quit Australia Zoo because he was concerned the wildlife park he'd founded in 1970 was becoming a 'circus'. Various reports from the time of Bob's exit claim he was worried the Sunshine Coast tourist attraction was becoming 'too commercial - and even feared a then nine-year-old Bindi was being pushed into child stardom. When Bob left the zoo for good in 2008 - two years after the death of his famous son - Terri was said to be planning a five-year expansion 'to make it Australia's peak tourist destination with a Disneyland feel'.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
War of words erupts between Bob Katter and Terri Irwin as they clash over controversial croc culling bill
Veteran MP Bob Katter has launched an attack on Dr Terri Irwin after she criticised his party's bill to cull crocodile populations in Queensland. The Irwin matriarch was among 175 submissions made to the state government on the proposed legislation and described it as 'more dangerous than previous efforts'. 'It is such a lazy and sloppy attempt to recycle old draft legislation,' she said on behalf of Australia Zoo. She noted the bill referenced the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection which has not been referred to as that since 2017. 'The Introductory Speech and Explanatory Notes is very selective in its use of statistics and contains many inaccuracies and "fake news",' Dr Irwin continued. 'However, it is the new, poorly-designed parts of the Bill which make this proposed legislation even more dangerous than previous efforts.' Katter's Australian Party (KAP) introduced the Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill 2025 in February to 'eliminate crocodiles which pose a threat to human life' while protecting them from going extinct. In response to Dr Irwin's 21-page submission, the party founder took to his Facebook page on Friday to attack her credentials. 'A lady, Mrs Irwin. She said that I'm a dangerous person, and it's the only time I've ever agreed with her in my life,' Katter said to the camera. 'She knows all about crocodiles. Well, that's rather fascinating for me because she lives in Brisbane, and I work with the top crocodile handlers in the world. 'Versace and the other big fashion houses have huge crocodile farms here. 'How would you know all about crocodiles if you live in Brisbane? Oh that's right, she's got them all locked up in a cage in Brisbane.' KAP MP for Hill Shane Knuth, who submitted the bill, joined the pile-on. 'The Irwin's built a multimillion dollar business off the back of crocodiles,' he wrote on Facebook. 'And now they're lecturing North Queenslanders on how to enjoy our recreational waterways while they're infested with crocs - and getting worse. 'Spare us the patronising 'Crocwise' slogans. We don't need a zoo telling us how to survive in our own backyard.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dr Irwin and Australia Zoo for comment. Australia Zoo is not the only organisation to oppose the proposed legislation, with PETA Australia raising two concerns in its own submission. 'We highlight crocodiles' sentience and individuality and refute that they are 'pest' animals who must be eradicated so humans can occupy their natural habitats,' it said. The group secondly opposed the Bill's proposed 'payment from a quota of 'High-End Clients' who wish to live harvest the crocodile'. It suggested the detail 'hints at allowing safari-style hunting of crocodiles'. Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farming Company also opposed the bill, suggesting that it would 'destroy the export industry'. A public hearing and briefing on the proposed legislation is due to be held in Brisbane on June 11.
News.com.au
07-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘How would you know about crocodiles if you live in Brisbane?': Maverick MP Bob Katter lashes out at Terri Irwin
Maverick Queensland MP Bob Katter has hit back at Terri Irwin after she publicly criticised the Katter's Australian Party (KAP) latest bill to cull crocodiles in the north of the state. Mrs Irwin described the amended proposal as 'lazy and sloppy' earlier in the week and warned it would 'turn the clock back to the dark and destructive days prior to the 1970s'. The bill claims Queensland has seen a giant increase in crocodile numbers, which Terri Irwin disputes, as justification for removing and euthanising crocs found in 'populated' waterways, and enabling hunting safaris on Aboriginal-controlled land. However, on Friday Mr Katter hit back at the animal conservationist, questioning her knowledge of crocodile preservation in Australia. 'Mrs Irwin … said that I'm a dangerous person and it's the only time I've ever agreed with her in my life,' he said in a video posted to Facebook. 'She knows all about crocodiles … well that's rather fascinating for me because she lives in Brisbane and I work with the top crocodile handlers in the world I would argue. 'Versace and the other big fashion houses have huge crocodile farms here.' Mr Katter went on to explain that the best crocodile handlers in the world have 'always been here in Australia'. 'She knows all about it well …. I'm a bit fascinated by that … how would you know about crocodiles if you live in Brisbane?' he said while laughing. 'Oh that's right she's got them all locked up in a cage in Brisbane I'd forgotten about that.' But Mrs Irwin has earlier claimed the amended bill – which imagines currently croc-infested waterways being used recreationally – is 'reckless, ill-informed and dangerous on so many levels'. In a 14-page long submission, Irwin argued a false sense of security may be created by the proposals, which would actually increase crocodile-related deaths. 'The removal of crocodiles, either through trapping or culling, will instead increase the likelihood of crocodile attacks as people believe the lie that once a crocodile is removed from a waterway then there will be no crocodiles,' she wrote. 'Research has consistently shown that when a crocodile dies or is removed, then another crocodile immediately comes in to take over that territory. Because of this reality, the Bill will not eliminate or even greatly reduce the risk of crocodile attacks.' Irwin also disputed claims that crocodile numbers have dramatically increased, saying there is no Queensland data to confirm that and the bill's cited increase does not account for multiple sightings of the same croc. 'It is the Irwin family and Australia Zoo's belief that individual culling and relocation are not effective ways to manage crocodile/human coexistence; rather, research and educating people are the key,' she said. 'The best course of action is for people in crocodile territory to be 'Croc-wise', reduce risk wherever possible and take sensible steps to minimise human-crocodile interaction.' KAP MP Shane Knuth spoke about the bill at state parliament last month, stating North Queenslanders are 'angry about losing more of our recreational waterways to the increasing crocodile population'. 'The constant threat of attacks, recent deaths and near-death experiences are dramatically affecting North Queensland's outdoor lifestyle,' he said. 'We never had to worry about the threats of crocodiles in our recreational waterways and beaches until the last two decades.' Crocodiles are protected in Queensland and remain listed as vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Magical economic basket cases': Bob Katter slams free marketing
Independent MP Bob Katter says Canada, New Zealand, and Australia are 'magical economic basket cases' because of free marketing. 'I am old Country Party, I believe in aggressive marketing policies,' Mr Katter told Sky News host Ross Greenwood. 'We're not out there to be fair, we're out there to win. 'The colonial spot marks are flashing neon lights here … the only three countries on Earth that went to free marketing are Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, and all three are magical economic basket cases.'
