Opinion Editorial: Leaders’ time to act. Robbie Katter MP, KAP Leader.

Leaders lead, they don’t follow.

The arena is set. Australia and Queensland are at a watershed moment. Our leaders have a choice; take control of our destiny or choose to be passively led by international powers.

Much has been said and published about the impending fate of my home city, Mount Isa.

Global commodity trader Glencore has announced the closure of the city’s copper mine and has not committed to continuing operations of the copper smelter, or Townsville’s refinery.

What has changed? Words and promises, not action on CopperString: Katter

“Line items in a budget don’t build an economy, and they certainly don’t build a powerline, but it’s a good start,” the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger has said.

“When Powerlink were in charge, all we heard were excuses. So, when the new government brought the QIC in to sort out the mess, we had a glimmer of hope,” Mr Katter said.

“But we still haven’t seen a single pole in the ground, or a meter of powerline strung!”

REMINDER TO GLENCORE: QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, OWNS MINERALS AND DECIDES WHO MINES THEM

Australia’s role in the worldwide critical and strategic minerals boom is being determined by the boardroom and CEO of a global commodity trader, the Federal, and State Members of Parliament, and Mayor have declared in Mount Isa.

“Glencore have come out and have sought to remind Queenslanders that their Swiss boardroom control the destiny of mineral production in this state, while at the same time threatening the continued operation of our copper smelter and Townsville’s refinery – a serious threat to thousands of Queensland jobs” the State member for Traeger, Robbie Katter has said.

TALK IS CHEAP – REFORM AND REAL ACTION, NOT JUST SUBSIDIES NEEDED: KATTER

“While authorities continue to ‘talk’, and provide piecemeal ‘support’, the communities of the North West continue to live in as state of uncertainty about what the future holds,” the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter has said in Mount Isa today.

At the North West MPX, the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development told the gathered resources industry that Mount Isa and the North West’s resilience and endurance had built modern Queensland.  He also announced a small incentive for new phosphate mines to use the Mount Isa railway line.

FLOOD-HIT COMMUNITIES, BUSINESSES HANGING BY CRUMBLING DIRT TRACK

The 2025 North Queensland floods have again exposed many of our infrastructure vulnerabilities and the neglect from governments refusing to treat our roads up here as the lifelines they are, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter said.

“While Brisbane obsesses over the Olympics and pours billions into infrastructure down south, North Queenslanders are cut off – again – not because of nature but because our roads are left to deteriorate into disrepair,” the Member for Traeger said.

REFORM IT, DON’T JUST SAVE IT: KATTERS DEMAND CONFIDENCE FOR THE NORTH WEST

“This place needs to be allowed to play its role as the industry powerhouse for the state and national economy,” the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter has said while in Mount Isa today.

Flanked by the Federal member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, Mr Katter doubled down on calls for all levels of government to prevent Glencore from sitting on Australian critical minerals.

BREAK GLASS NOW – GAS RESERVE POLICY NEEDED TO SAVE STRATEGIC FACTORY, JOBS: KATTER

“The Federal LNP leader has seen the light on a gas reserve policy, so now I’m waiting to see if the LNP in Queensland will follow his lead,” the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger has said.

“The KAP, starting with my father in 2014, have been enormously strong advocates for a gas reserve policy because we know that high gas prices are killing off our industry, and with it our jobs.

PATIENTS FORCED TO TRAVEL FOR DIALYSIS AS GOVERNMENT LEAVES LOCAL RENAL CHAIRS UNUSED

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) and Member for Traeger has called for an urgent expansion of the renal dialysis service in Charters Towers, arguing that local patients should not have to endure exhausting travel to Townsville for treatment when the infrastructure already exists in their own community.

Mr Katter said one of his proudest achievements has been working alongside the Charters Towers community and Townsville Hospital and Health Services to establish the local 4-chair dialysis service. He said while the service has been lifesaving for many, there is still more to be done.

PEOPLE POWER PAVES WAY FOR HANN FUNDING WIN

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) is pleased to confirm that the Federal Government has allocated $70 million in the Federal Budget to complete the sealing of the final 10.8km of the Kennedy Development Road (the Hann Highway).

KAP Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter said the milestone achievement underscored the importance of people power.

He said years of lobbying, particularly by local governments such as the Flinders Shire Council, had led to the win.

KATTERS UNITE, THE GULF WAS BUILT ON BUFFEL, BRAHMAN AND BITUMEN

KAP Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter said the federal government’s consideration of adding buffel grass to the WoNS registry, a move driven by ideologically-motivated environmentalists, was extremely misguided. 

“These people are fools – they can’t be bothered to take consequential action on the myriad of extremely serious weeds and pests that are destroying Australia’s native ecosystem, and yet they want to pursue this,” he said.