The sun setting over Pioneer Bay on Monday night provided the ultimate backdrop for the very first gathering of Australia’s newest political party in the Whitsundays.
Katter’s Australian Party’s is not even eight weeks old - its birth barely registered - and people are showing interest from both major political camps keen to follow the bright new star.
Campaign director Luke Shaw is in the Whitsundays this week hoping to establish a level of support before seeking the ultimate jewel to represent the party and strive for the seat of Whitsunday.
“Queenslanders have had no leadership from either side of the spectrum. They’ve been let down by Labor who are constantly selling off state assets and they’ve had no decent opposition in years ... and if you have a weak opposition, you will have a weak party.
“Queenslanders have a right to feel disillusioned,” Mr Shaw said.
Some 20 people showed up at the initial interest-seeking meeting on Monday night at the VMR hall in Cannonvale where Mr Shaw explained the core values and principles of the party, their policies on free trade and how abhorred they were to see the continued selling off of the nation's assets - and their view on carbon tax.
“Axe the tax – it’s as simple as that. It doesn’t achieve anything.”
Elaborating on the core values and principles of the party, Mr Shaw said Katter’s Australian Party would stop the sale of Abbot Point coal terminal, stop the Labor Party and LNP selling off Queensland state owned power stations and ensure vital services
such as water, electricity, health services and road networks were affordable and at a reasonable standard for all.
“I don’t want to take a personal swipe at the member for Whitsunday but she is the tourism minister and what is she doing for tourism?
“It's so sad to see all the shops empty or for sale in the main streets here! What is going on? Who is helping the people of the Whitsundays?”
Mr Shaw said within three to four weeks’ time, the Australian Party would have credible quality candidates ready to campaign for the seat of Whitsunday.
“We want to hear from people whose ideas resonate with that of the Australian Party’s.
“People who want to put Australia’s interest first especially in respect to ownership of agricultural land, people who are passionate about tourism in the Whitsundays and those who
will vote in the interest of their electorate, consistent with their conscience.”
LNP candidate for the seat of Whitsunday Jason Costigan, who was in Brisbane on Sunday to hear the leader Campbell Newman's address to the party faithful at the LNP's state conference, said the only way to get rid of this tired, out-of-touch and wasteful Labor government and make Queensland a can do state gain was to vote LNP.”
“Minor parties and independents can't deliver.
“If you want proof, just have a look at that circus going on in Canberra,” Mr Costigan said.
The Guardian was not able to reach current member for Whitsunday and tourism minister Jan Jarratt for her comment.
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