Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Could the minister advise the House of any joy on the EC assistance for the flood ravaged gulf, log jammed by the Queensland government now for over year? In light of the anniversary of this flooding from Ingham to Burketown, would he not agree that a task force of five Indigenous representatives, three bureaucrats, two greenies, one Sydney suit, a cattle rep and mining rep—neither of whom are pro-irrigation resumptions—and only one lonely farmer is not a task force that is going to, as directed, find sustainable water projects? On the contrary, their self-appointed spokesman, the World Wildlife Fund’s Stuart Blanch, most arrogantly informed the government that such would not be able to be found because of the north’s climate, soils and topography. Since most of the United States, China, India and Brazil—half of the world’s population—lie within 35 degrees latitude with similar climate, soils and topography, and since Northern Australia’s 305 million megalitres rivals the Brahmaputra, Yangtze and Mississippi, would he not agree that the findings are not only absurd but deeply embarrassing? And finally—

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