Working Group for the Establishment of North Queensland
Northern MPs, academics, economists and community leaders have joined forces to push forward the case for North Queensland as an independent state.
The newly formed Working Group for the Establishment of North Queensland believes it is time for a concerted push for the independence of a Northern State to secure future development.
KAP leader and Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter believes the working group will assist in establishing the case as a strong representative body to lay the ground work for a referendum.
Mr Katter said he is sick of the hearing that a northern state isn’t economically viable.
“The arguments put up by the State Government that we can’t afford it are an offence. Just the opposite is true. We can’t afford not to,” he said.
“We have not baseload power, no dams, no real development and this is in contrast to the massive cannibalism economic spending in Brisbane, not even in the south east corner! Just Brisbane. In fact I think a lot of people on the Gold Coast and
Sunshine Coast and the South West, would like to come with us. There are few more centralised governments in the world.
Member for Mt Isa Rob Katter said the group will also assist in the push for strategic long term policy and development, something the north has lacked for a long time.
“This committee will work to make this proposition become a reality, this is more than just a thought bubble, it’s the beginning of a real future for North Queensland,”
“The reason for being independent is a simple one. It is fundamentally better for all of us if decisions about North Queensland’s future are made by the people who care most about North Queensland – that is the people of North Queensland.
Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen who has for a long time advocated for a referendum on this issue had written to all MPs, senators and mayors who represent areas above the Tropic of Capricorn to invite them to be part of a such a move.
“The committee is for action not more talk. The people of the north deserve a fair hearing on this, this working group is well placed to push for a referendum on the formation of a new state of North Queensland,” he said.
The working group hopes to meet on a monthly basis and involve other community leaders to contribute to the campaign.
Confirmed NQ Working Group as follows:
| George Christensen MP | Federal Member for Dawson (LNP) |
| Rob Pyne MP | State Member for Cairns (Independent) |
| Jeff Cox | Cane farmer and grazier |
| Colin Dwyer | Leading economist |
| David Moyle | Founder of Townsville Ratepayers Association |
| Peter Raffles | Barrister and academic |
| Henry Fracchia | Civil Engineer Executive Director of Infrastructure Design at UDP Group |
| Bob Katter MP | Federal Member for Kennedy (KAP) |
| Robbie Katter MP | State Member for Mt Isa (KAP) |
| Shane Knuth MP | State Member for Dalrymple (KAP) |
| Vicky Kippin O’Connor | Grower and grazier, former
State politician |