Take a good Cook at us, says Katter

A $3 MILLION statue of Captain James Cook to be built at Kamay Botany Bay National Park has come under fire from Katter’s Australian Party, which believes it should erected at Cooktown.

The statue is part of a $50 million redevelopment of Botany Bay in Treasurer Scott Morrison’s electorate.

Kennedy MP Bob Katter said spending money on celebrating Cook’s landing at Botany Bay as opposed to Cooktown was wasteful.

“There’s a much more important story to be told,” Mr Katter said.

KAP candidate for Leichhardt Daniel McCarthy said the government should redirect money to Cooktown, where the reconciliation between indigenous Australians and Cook was recorded to have taken place.

“I don’t care how they split it, but they’re willing to put $50 million on the table in Botany Bay, surely they could put some of that money to Queensland,” he said.

Australia will on April 29, 2020, celebrate the 250th anniversary of the first meeting between indigenous Australians and Cook’s crew.

Cooktown has called for a funding allocation of about $12 million to prepare for the event. The make-up of the funding includes:

$2 million for upgrades to the Cooktown Reconciliation Rocks precinct, including stone and bronze statues of indigenous Australia’s and Cook’s people respectively.

$5 million for the dredging of the Cooktown harbour

$4 million for the development of a Research Study Centre focused on marine and indigenous studies.

The rest would be for the 2020 reconciliation festival. Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said organisers were pushing for a huge reconciliation event.

“We believe in 2020 that the spotlight should be here to make a statement to the rest of the world about real reconciliation.,” Cr Scott said.

Mr Katter has submitted a question with notice to the Treasurer demanding the diversion of federal funding to Cooktown.

I DON’T CARE HOW THEY SPLIT IT, BUT THEY’RE WILLING TO PUT $50 MILLION ON THE TABLE IN BOTANY BAY, SURELY THEY COULD PUT SOME OF THAT MONEY TO QUEENSLAND DANIEL McCARTHY, KAP CANDIDATE