KAP may cut Anning loose
FRASER Anning’s future with Katter’s Australian Party is hanging by a thread after a “race- baiting” plan for a plebiscite on restricting non- European migration ended with the party’s executive threatening to disendorse him.
A crisis meeting of the party’s federal executive last night came close to removing Senator Anning from the party and he could still be ousted within weeks.
KAP president Shane Paulger said the executive granted Senator Anning a stay of execution for a few weeks while a strict review was conducted, during which time he has been told to drop comments about restricting non- European migration or blanket bans on Muslim migration.
The review will include interviews with his senior staff and increased supervision of statements from his office by the party, Mr Paulger said.
He said the initial proposition was to disendorse Senator Anning as his views did not reflect the party’s, but the executive did not want a knee- jerk reaction.
“If it does continue down that line, it’s obvious what the consequence will be,” Mr Paulger said.
“I have said if this contin- ues, there’s no place for Fraser in our party.”
KAP founder and Kennedy MP Bob Katter said he had warned Senator Anning against giving further racially charged speeches, telling him “no more going down this road”.
“We declared clearly that we are an anti- racist party,” Mr Katter said.
Senator Anning was contacted for comment.
Labor had been reconsidering preferencing KAP ahead of the LNP in Mr Katter’s seat of Kennedy after Senator Anning made his maiden speech talking about a return to the White Australia policy.
Senator Anning joined the KAP only in June after he spectacularly split from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation when he was sworn into the Senate in November to replace former senator Malcolm Roberts.
Senator Anning moved a Bill for a plebiscite to ban Muslim immigration and restrict non- European migration, but it was strongly rejected by all parties in the Senate.
Queensland Labor senator Anthony Chisholm said “race baiting” had no place in the Australian Parliament.
Immigration Minister David Coleman said a motion calling for migration to be based “on the colour of their skin” was disgraceful.