Newsroom

June 28, 2024

Queensland’s resources must be mined for the interest of Queenslanders, and not played with like a gambling chip by a Swiss-based commodity trader, the member for Traeger, and Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) leader has said in his opening statement to a Parliamentary Committee in Brisbane.

“The future of copper production in Queensland should not be at the whim of a commodity trader – regardless of their integrity – it should be representatives of the Queensland people,” Mr Katter said.

The Mount Isa Mines Act amendment bill seeks to ensure that Queensland elected officials are tasked with approving significant operational changes to the Mount Isa mine.

“It is ludicrous that when the multinational commodity trader Glencore decided they’d rather support the highly questionable ‘employment’ conditions in Africa and South America, the Queensland government and its Ministers have no say – they just have to shake their head and say, ‘what a shame’”, the Member for Traeger said.

“It’s high time that Queensland ministers have a backbone, and my Bill in the parliament gives that back to them.

“If passed, this bill will ensure that Queensland’s aspirations for the development of the North West Minerals Province are shared with the leaseholder of Mount Isa, not the profiteering desire of multinationals.

At the committee hearing, Mr Katter reminded the committee of the vital role that copper mining, processing, and associated industry plays in Queensland.

“Between the loss of throughput at the Townsville refinery, transport and port industries, and the threat of needing to import sulphuric acid from as far away as Canada, the impact of shutting down of Mount Isa Copper is far reaching,” Mr Katter said.

“I expect the Brisbane LNP and Labor parties will be nervous about annoying a ‘scary multinational’, but I’m here to declare that Queensland should determine our own future, not self-serving executives in a corporate board room,” he said.