In the eyes of some, the emergence of Bob Katter’s Australian Party has the potential to shake up what had loomed as a predictable Queensland state election, due around March.
Bob Katter
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Political snippets: Don’t underestimate the man in the hat
Underneath the hat there’s a shrewd player of the political game and I think he’ll prove it when his Katter’s Australian Party offers itself to voters for the first time.
Newspoll: Liberal National Party’s overwhelming lead in Queensland
Career opportunities for aspiring Queensland Labor politicians are clearly going to be thin on the ground for a few years to come. The Liberal National Party are polling 61-39 two-party preferred, writes William Bowe.
Cracks in the strange creation of Queensland’s Liberal National Party
There was always something strange about the combination of the Queensland Liberal and National parties into a single Liberal National Party. Bob Katter may have rained on Campbell Newman’s parade, writes Richard Farmer.
Political snippets: Cracks in the strange LNP partnership
There was always something strange about the combination of the Queensland Liberal and National parties into a single Liberal National Party.
Duped by Katter, a ‘civil libertarian’ as long as you’re not gay
James Newburrie, a modest, honest and courteous man, armoured with the knowledge that what he is doing is right and necessary, and will take his stand opposite Bob Katter’s office Sunday, writes Doug Pollard.
Power Shots: Not-so-powerful Arbib … BlueScope’s bad timing … Katter on bro’s stand …
Not so long ago Mark Arbib was Australia’s No. 1 political powerbroker. Paul Barry looks into why he comes in at number three. Also, fixing legend John Faulkner, bad bonus timing at BlueScope and Bob Katter responds to his brother’s stand on gay marriage.
The Power Index The man behind Katter’s AEC party name rejection
The man responsible for ending the possibility of Bob Katter abbreviating his Katter’s Australian Party name to “Australian Party” is David Doe, a man who has been highly active in the video games censorship debate, writes Angela Priestley.
The Power Index Power Shots: Nick Minchin, keeper of the Howard flame … NGV’s power benefactor …
Leader of the Right and keeper of the Howard flame, Nick Minchin is still regarded by some as the Liberal Party’s spiritual leader. Also, the NGV’s power benefactor, Alan Joyce finds friends in the market and Bolt and Negus back in 2012.
Qantas: Katter says buy it back, Xenophon wants audit of losses
The political dimension of the Qantas restructuring had a high-noon blast-off in Canberra today when members of all parties held a press conference with key Qantas unions officials.
Political snippets: Gutsy Gillard gets a 10
Why the delay in disqualifying Sky News from the tender process to provide Australia’s government financed international television service?
podcast Canberra Calling: The happy days are at an end my friends podcast
This week Canberra Corespondent Bernard Keane and Crikey’s editor Sophie Black tackle the live export trade, Labor’s divide over the Malaysian detention of asylum seekers and … Bob Katter.
Rundle: crazy Katter’s cut-price, fried policy chain
Bob Katter stood up on Friday and spoke for those sidelined, excluded and marginalised from politics, the real Australians who work hard and pay their taxes, and don’t ask for more than a fair shake. Good luck to him.
Oakeshott capitulates over financial advice reforms
Reforms designed to restore confidence in the financial services sector are at risk of being derailed following intense lobbying, writes James Frost, of Eureka Report.
Crikey Says: More tanks where Katter’s come from
It’s easy to laugh at Bob Katter, who has years of form in threatening to establish new political parties, and who yesterday was talking about a “new political direction” and the “tanks and ammunition” that he had for it.
Crabb: The giant sooking babies leading our country
This new paradigm is more of a new play pen, with Australian politicians trading the most pathetic insults and playing childish games with each other, writes Annabel Crabb.
Political snippets: Banks’ signals make things clear
You have got to love the ingenuity of politicians and public officials when they fell under pressure to be seen by the public to be doing something about a problem.
Meet Bob Katter, aka B Joyce … and Andrew Robb, aka J Hockey
The ABC has finally discovered the high value of the Australian dollar is more of an issue than just a simple race call at the back end of the news or a mention in the finance report.
Mungo MacCallum: Gillard’s safe but her ability to legislate isn’t
Julia Gillard can afford to be reasonably satisfied with the first week of the rest of her government. But the crossbenchers are ready and eager to exploit their temporary power bases, particularly on climate change and the war in Afghanistan.
Crikey Says: The other p-word
If Katter’s right, the people don’t want sensible politics. They want that other p word. No, not paradigm.
Shanahan: Voters back the independents
The latest Newspoll vilifies the independents’ decision to back a Gillard government, because a Abbott government would have headed back to the polls quicker. But Gillard isn’t expected to last a full term, writes Dennis Shanahan.
Pearson: PM Abbott the Right choice for aborigines
History shows that the best person to make progressive policies is a conservative. And Australia’s indigenous people need right-wing leadership — like Tony Abbott and Bob Katter — to bring bipartisan support to resolve the big issues , declares Noel Pearson.
Katter’s rural suicide focus shows his heart’s in the right place
Bob Katter is the kind of guts-n-gusto personality who speaks a little too freely and shoots a little too much from hip. But on the subject of suicide his conviction is unquestionable, and his efforts are — at the very least — meritorious.
If the Liberals want to blame anyone, look at the Nationals
If there’s anyone to blame for Tony Abbott failing to get over the line, it’s the Nationals. Abbott himself performed far better than expected and deserves credit, but he has let down by the long-term failings of the Nats.
