April 27, 2021
KENNEDY MP Bob Katter has slammed the Federal Government for its plans to co-fund the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, pouring billions of dollars into a two-week sporting event, while nation-building projects like the Hughenden Irrigation Project are shovel-ready and will thrust Australia forward in its pursuit of self-sufficiency by feeding the country and populating inland Australia.
An exasperated Mr Katter said he was shocked and in disbelief upon learning that the Prime [1]Minister has confirmed the Government would invest 50 per cent of the funding for all the major infrastructure of projects like the proposed Gabba knock-down and rebuild likely to cost about $1bn.
He warned that the unprecedented announcement reeked of a PR, vote-buying campaign and that Australia should be injecting funding into areas that make the country sensibly self-sufficient.
“The ancient Athenians said, “let the games begin,” but since time immemorial, rulers have assumed that the people are so bloody stupid that they can be bought off with a football match,” he said.
“That $500 million would build the Hughenden Irrigation owner/occupier ballot scheme and move 300,000 people out of the Covid-rabbit-warrens of Australia’s metropolitan hellholes, into the highest quality of life in the world and feed half of the billion people that go to bed starving every night.
“Also, we may be able to convince China and others that Australia is no longer ready for the pickings. We made the mistake of Terra nullius 250 years ago; it is about time we woke up to ourselves as a nation.
“Squandering money on pleasure domes may win you some votes, but it won’t earn you a very high place in heaven. It will earn you a place in the history books but it won’t be a very a comfortable place,” he said.
KAP Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter said there was something “particularly perverse” about the timing of the announcement.
“Today we are learning the full extent of Queensland's hospital crisis, and at the same time the Premier is telling us all to get excited about the billions of dollars both the State and Federal Governments plan to spend to host the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
“I have been acutely aware of these health issues in rural and regional communities for a long time – across the board there is a growing deficit for buildings and services.
“But now the state-wide status of the health system has been exposed, and we are in dire straits.
“Let's just hope none of those athletes or Olympic Games spectators need to use a hospital while they're here.
“We need to remember there is a good reason the rest of the world doesn’t want this event – it’s easy to throw a party but it’s much more difficult to find the money to pay for it.
“The Premier is the modern-day Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns,” he said.
[1] https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/seq-olympics-2032/gabba-redevelopment-federal-government-agrees-to-fund-half-olympics-revamp/news-story/c6e28a15b5b98dbb45edc089fdfa3497