Senate voting changes an attack on small parties, says Katter

23 September 2015: Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter today joined Federal crossbenchers in slamming the Government’s reported proposal to change the voting system in the Senate, which he said is a move designed to advantage the major parties and wipe out small parties.

“Clive Palmer’s dead right on this occasion when he says this is an attempt by the major parties to rig the system and emasculate the ‘other’ point of view,” Mr Katter said.

“I think people like Dio Wang, John Madigan, Nick Xenophon, Ricky Muir, Bob Day and even the Jacqui Lambies are outstanding examples of independents and small parties who make a very valuable contribution.

“They vote, in my opinion, infinitely more intelligently than those in the mainstream major parties who have destroyed our economy with their fanatical free-marketism.

“They represent the people, the rest represent the ALP and LNP corporations,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter attacked the two-party system which he said was not appealing to the majority of voters.

“We are the only country on earth that has the two-party system, except America which has constituency voting, but which makes them much more sensitive to their electorates than even a multi-party system,” Mr Katter said.

“So maybe the rest of the world’s wrong and we’re the only country on Earth that’s right.

“But that’s clearly not what the people think when they vote now, as over 20% of them will not vote for the mainstream parties.”

Mr Katter added that even without the balance of power, independents and small parties could achieve extraordinary results.

“The re-opening of the live cattle trade to Indonesia is one example,” Mr Katter said.

“The reversal of the decision to sell the Snowy Mountains is another. The Snowy arguably facilitates through irrigation half of Australia’s agricultural production and nearly a tenth of the nation’s vital peak load power.

“Without independents in the Parliament that decision would not have been reversed. The Australian people were responsible for the decision, but it could not have been achieved without the cross-benches.”