Katter MPs hit back over no- show

KATTER’S Australian Party MPs have defended their decision not to attend every day of estimates in Brisbane insisting they have “important work” in their electorates instead.

The LNP accused the three KAP members of “betraying the bush” by failing to grill Agriculture Minister Mark Furner during the hearing in Parliament yesterday.

“Did the Katters have something more important to do than standing up for primary producers and landholders?” LNP agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said.

“This was their chance to fight for the regions – and they couldn’t even be bothered to turn up.”

But State leader Robbie Katter defended his decision not to fly to Brisbane for every hearing.

“It’s okay for the LNP to say this with their staff and member numbers but we don’t have the luxury of going to Brisbane to play party games when there’s work to be done here,” he said.

“We already do the heavy lifting in regions.”

Mr Katter said having to travel from his vast North Queensland electorate could not be compared to other cross benchers who were only based a few hours’ drive from Brisbane.

“I ran $ 10,000 over my travel budget last year as it is,” he said.

Mr Katter said he and his fellow members Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto and Hill MP Shane Knuth would be attending the hearings relevant to their own committees.

Mr Dametto said he didn’t believe there would be much opportunity to ask the State Government questions even if he did go to every hearing.

“I actually had to negotiate how many questions I could even ask on my own committee, so good luck trying to actually get leave to get onto that committee hearing and ask your own question,” he said.