Monday, June 20, 2016

MAD KATTERS/ MAD HATTERZ / MAD AS HELL/ MAD MOMENT IN SENATE FORUM CONFRONTATION

Snake  Gully  Influence  in  Queensland   Politics  
Three  serious looking Katter's Australian Party  hombres, Big Daddy Bob Katter (in Marlboro Country hat and sunnies, a  grim High Noon shootout expression on his face  ) , his  son , Bob  ( with tie ) ,  and   former  law officer , Shane  Knuth, make  life  tough  for  the minority  Palaszczuk ALP  government  in  Queensland  which  hangs  on  by  a  nylon  thread .

 Because of  this  precarious position,  the ALP often has long discussions with the only  two  KAP members in Queensland state politics-Shane Knuth  and   Bob  Katter Junior -on various matters , seeking  their  support .

However , just  when it looks as if  the duo  agree on  an issue , their stance  changes overnight  because in  the morning  Katter the younger  announces he has  discussed the  issue with  his dad  and  he is not  agreeable,  not  happy .

This situation  has been labelled  as  the  Dad and Dave of  Snake Gully  influence  on  Queensland  politics. Said one exasperated pollie in Brisbane  : "We know  who  Dad and  Dave are , but  will  there  be  a Mabel ?" Good question, as Joy Marriott , one of  the Knitting Nannas , a protest group which campaigned against  coal seam gas and  other  exploration and mining threats  to   land  and  water , is  standing for KAP as a Senate candidate  in  Queensland . Describing herself as an "ethical green" , commenting on proposed new  land clearing regulations  , she  said : "Until we can work out how we're going to  grow carrots  or produce in the fork of a tree , clearing land is essential for farmers."


She recently claimed  at a media conference that Cairns  federal government  pollie   Warren  Entsch told her to f**k off  at a  forum  on  the  proposed new  Queensland land  management laws .   He laughed off  the matter and claimed she had "stalked him " with  flyers . Snake Gully sure  has changed.

 
Apart  from  being  difficult to deal  with , believing they virtually have the government  at  the  point  of  a gun because of  the numbers , the KAP two play hardball . As well as making life difficult  for the ALP,  the KAP two  expressed disappointment  at  the successful challenge to the leadership of the LNP  leader  Lawrence Springborg   as  they had  an agreement  with him about their place in   a  change of  government , and  did not  like  the  replacement , Tim Nicholls ,  treasurer  in  the  Newman  government.

It is irksome that  the  only  KAP  member  in  the  House  of  Representatives, the Sombrero Kid, in effect calls the  shots in  the Queensland parliament .This has  caused impolite  muttering  in Brisbane , on both sides ,   about the "Mad  Katters" .
 Recently, one  of  this  blog's roving  rural reporters ,  running about on the Atherton Tablelands , spotted  Katter  senior , the Member for Kennedy , neatly kitted out ,  striding  along  at the  large Yungaburra  market , above ,  followed  by  Shane  Knuth, the  latter  armed  with  a  twisted  potato  on  a  stick .

Distracted by stalls offering books ,  our reporter lost track of  the  Katter deux  and  the spud on  a  stick   when  his attention was   grabbed by a book on Hitler's personal library,  which  he  bought ; there are two good  bookshops in the  town .

The  KAPs in  cowboy hats had  seemingly disappeared...Searching for them in the  large  crowd , our  scribe  spotted a place where they could be hiding -the  nearby   Mad Hatterz Whimsical  Tea  House  .   
 
 Peering  through  the  windows  like a thirsty  March Hare  , no  sign of the KAP duo   could  be seen , just  happy  people swilling  tea,  so  he  headed  for  the 1910 built  Yungaburra Hotel , also known as the Lake Eacham Hotel , for   light refreshments  and a  look  at  the interesting Federation architecture  interior features made  from  local timber, there being  a large street   painting  nearby depicting  tree felling .  
 
 
 
In a surprise development, a  Townsville  economist ,  Colin Dwyer  who had unsuccessfully  stood  for the LNP in  a  Queensland  state election , announced  he would  saddle up  for  KAP in the federal seat of  Herbert  against  Ewen Jones (LNP).
 
His entry was announced at  a  media conference where Dwyer sounded  like the angry  TV station   news   anchor   in   Network , Australia's own Peter Finch ,   the  academy award winning  l976  movie, in  which  he famously urged  viewers  (couch potatoes ) to  get  up , go to  windows , stick  out  their  heads  and shout out that they are  mad  as hell  about  the  state of  things  and are not  going to  take  it  any  longer .

(This scenario , of course , is repeated   in  our own  ABC TV   Mad as Hell  series anchored  by   oughta   be  certified  and  gonged   Shaun  Micallef.


 In print , on TV  and over  the  radio , Dwyer, obviously mad  with the LNP , spread the  message  that  he is  standing because  he is  very angry  about  what has    happened  to  the  Townsville economy  and  that  the city needs  a  voice  in Canberra ,  not  Canberra's  voice  in  Townsville .
 
This  expression of anger and the need for a voice in the holy city was  repeated in  campaign  adverts , and other media interviews . It could be prompted by the fact   that  during  one of the  Question Time  sessions  in  the House of Representatives , shortly  before the double dissolution election was  called , Bob Katter  senior  got  up  and  did  not seem to be seeking  information ,  more  like making  a  rant.  The government  responded  by  saying   Katter had  been in  parliament  long   enough  he  should  know   how  to  word  a  question.    

STOP  (SHOCK )  PRESS :   KAP expressed support for the Queensland budget because  of  provisions for  regional  parts of  the  state .