Newsroom

July 3, 2024

KAP’s Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, asserted his right to infuriate his fellow members of parliament when it comes to defending and supporting those Australians sent to war by their government.

The Defence Amendment (Parliament Joint Committee on Defence) Bill was passed with support of the Liberal opposition on July 1, their only change request being that the committee include opposition committee members.

“What right have parliamentarians got to judge those people? Their peer group can judge them but not desk jockeys and paper-pushers,” Mr Katter said.

The man who brought war crime charges against his combat staff, Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell, is also the person who sanctioned personnel like Ben Robert-Smtih being ordered to do six back-to-back tours of Afghanistan.

“Our soldiers had no opportunity to come home to Australia and re-connect with their family and ‘normal’ life.  They lived months, and sometimes years of being on high alert with the threat of injury or death around every corner.”

While speaking of his support for our defence force personnel in parliament on Monday, not only were other MPs unruly without the speaker calling them to order, but the speaker also halted Mr Katter's speech to say he had “managed to upset a number of people now and (she) would like to avoid that …”.

Showing his frustration Mr Katter countered with: “It is my privilege to offend people in this place, that is my right as a member of parliament”.

Mr Katter then asked the speaker for a “fair go”, the same thing he was asking parliament to give to our defence force personnel who leave their families and are involved in active combat at the whim of politicians like those who were heckling his support of our defence personnel in parliament.

“I received continuous interjections from the ALP when in parliament and I am talking about men sacrificing their lives to defend their country,” he said.

Mr Katter then warned the interjecting MPs that he would contact their local media outlets and let them know their federal government representatives showed their vulgarity by interrupting his praise for the men and woman who are sent to war.

He also questioned the lack of ‘war’ experience of those around him in federal parliament.

“The number of people in here that would have had any war experience I think would be negligible, and yet you are going to stand in judgement upon those people who have volunteered to put their lives at risk to defend this country.  You have no right.

“We have had a gutful of the wokies, bleeding hearts and pansies wringing their hands with hypocrisy,” Mr Katter said.