Political party in Australia

Katter's Australian Party (KAP) is a political party in Australia. It was formed by the Independent Federal Member of Parliament, Bob Katter, with a registration application lodged to the Australian Electoral Commission in 2011. Katter has been the party's federal parliamentary leader since that time, while his son Robbie is the leader in Queensland.[12]

Bob Katter was re-elected under the party's label at the 2013 federal election, while the party also won two seats at the 2012 state election in Queensland, which it retained at the 2015 state election. It won three seats at the 2017 state election, with the election of an additional MP in Nick Dametto. In June 2018, Independent Senator Fraser Anning (formerly of One Nation) joined the party. He was expelled in October 2018.

Name [ edit ]

On 17 August 2011 the party's application for registration was denied by the Australian Electoral Commission, on the grounds that the intended abbreviated party name ("The Australian Party") was too generic and likely to cause confusion.[13] On 27 September 2011, Katter's Australian Party was registered by the Australian Electoral Commission.[14] Although, unsuccessful in registering "The Australian Party" abbreviated party name nationally, the party's simultaneous application to register in Queensland succeed with the abbreviated name despite a few public objections.[15] Under Queensland electoral law it is only the abbreviated party name which appears on the state election ballots. To avoid ballot-box party names varying, depending on Australian State, the KAP unsuccessfully appealed to the courts to have ballots reprinted so that the full party name and not the abbreviated party name would appear on ballots for the 2012 Queensland state election.[16]

Policies [ edit ]

The party's policies closely mirror those of Katter, including support for industry (both agricultural and manufacturing) and opposition to privatisation and deregulation. The party's first policies announced by Katter include:

Although Katter himself is known to be a staunch social conservative, the party (mostly) does not actively pursue socially conservative policies, focusing mainly on economic issues. Although social conservatism is usually associated with issues such as abortion, the party does not have a position on this (or most solely social policy issues) – as it is considered a matter of social conscience for individual party members.

Many of the party's economic stances echo 1950s Labor policy, reflecting the roots of Katter's father, Bob, Sr. in Labor.

Federal politics [ edit ]

2013 federal election [ edit ]

In the 2013 federal election, Katter's Australian Party received 1.04% of the nationwide vote in first preferences in the lower house, and 0.89% nationwide in the Senate.[21] Its best performing state was Queensland with 3.75% of the lower-house vote and 2.94% of the Senate vote.

Katter retained his seat of Kennedy, despite a 16-point swing in favour of the Liberal Nationals.[22]

2016 federal election [ edit ]

In the 2016 federal election, Katter's Australian Party received 0.54% of the nationwide vote in first preferences in the lower house, and 0.38% nationwide in the Senate.[23][24] Bob Katter retained his seat of Kennedy, with a swing of 8.93% towards him.[25] The party's next-best finish was in the Division of Capricornia, where Laurel Carter polled 7.08 percent of the vote.[26]

On 7 July 2016, while counting for the election was still underway and the final result uncertain, Katter announced that he would provide confidence and supply to the Turnbull Government in the event that it was reduced to minority government.[27] It proved unnecessary, as the Coalition finished with a one-seat majority. In August 2017, during the parliamentary eligibility crisis, Katter announced that he could not guarantee confidence and supply if the government lost its majority.[28]

State politics [ edit ]

Queensland [ edit ]

The party fielded candidates at the 2012 Queensland state election.[12] Queensland Independent MP Rob Messenger had expressed interest in joining the party,[29] however following the merger with the Queensland Party, Messenger declared he would not join the new party as it intended to run against sitting independents at the election.[30]

On 9 August 2011, Katter's Australian Party announced plans to merge with state Beaudesert MP Aidan McLindon's Queensland Party, with Katter's Australian Party as the surviving entity. As part of the deal, McLindon became the merged party's leader in Queensland.[31][32]

On 30 October 2011 McLindon was joined by Shane Knuth, the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) member for Dalrymple. Knuth, who was from the National half of the merger, objected to what he saw as a reduced voice for regional MPs in the merged party, calling it a Liberal takeover. He was also displeased with a number of tactics adopted by the LNP's organisational wing, such as grilling potential candidates and maintaining files about Labor MPs containing compromising information.[33]

In the 2012 Queensland state election, the party contested 76 of the 89 seats in the state legislature. Robbie Katter won Mount Isa--which is virtually coextensive with the western portion of his father's federal seat--while Knuth retained Dalrymple. McLindon was defeated in Beaudesert. Katter claimed that the Electoral Commission's decision not to print his name on the ballot cost the party 8.5% of the vote.[34]

On 25 November 2012 the party was joined by Condamine LNP MP Ray Hopper. Like Knuth, Hopper is from the National side of the merger. As Knuth had a year earlier, Hopper claimed that the LNP had been a takeover by the old Liberal Party at the expense of the National Party, and accused the LNP of deliberately purging National influence from the party. Hopper claimed to have spoken to eight other LNP backbenchers who were considering defection.[35] On 29 November Hopper was elected as the party's Queensland state leader.[36]

In the 2015 Queensland state election, the party contested 11 of the 89 seats, with Knuth and Katter retaining their seats, but Hopper failed in a bid for the seat of Nanango. Due to the election's close-run result (44 Labor to 42 LNP with either needing 45), KAP was potentially in a situation to choose the government, and met with both parties and published a list of 28 demands.[37] However, as independent MP Peter Wellington elected to support Labor on confidence and supply, this did not proceed further.

In the 2017 Queensland state election, Shane Knuth won Hill, Robbie Katter won Traeger and increased their seat numbers to 3 with Nick Dametto winning Hinchinbrook. They also became the 3rd largest party in the Queensland Parliament.

Other states [ edit ]

The Tasmanian Branch, led by Glenorchy Alderman Jenny Branch-Allen, claimed to have received many expressions of interest by potential candidates for the 2013 federal election.[38]

Ann Bressington, an independent (and formerly No Pokies) member of the South Australian Legislative Council, announced in October 2013 that she would sponsor registration for the party at the 2014 state election, although she did not join the party herself.[39]

In February 2014, the Country Alliance announced that it would merge with the Victorian Branch of Katter's Australian Party for the upcoming 2014 state election, following confirmation at an extraordinary general meeting of the party. The merged parties plan to contest the election as the "Australian Country Alliance".[40][41]

Donors [ edit ]

Katter's Australian Party has attracted large amounts of donations from gas, firearms, mining and taxi industries.

For the 2016–17 financial year, the ten largest disclosed donors to the party were: Nioa ($191,667), United Petroleum ($150,000), Eliza Nioa ($58,333), Sporting Shooters Association of Australia ($50,000), Glencore Australia ($20,000), Stephen Curley ($17,600), Taxi Owner & Driver Welfare Association ($16,145), Taxi Council of Queensland ($15,000), Firearms Dealers Association ($8,000) and Windlab ($6,000).[42][43]

Parliamentary leaders [ edit ]

Federal [ edit ]

No. Leader Term Seat Notes 1 Bob Katter 2011–present Kennedy Party founder; Inaugural leader

Queensland [ edit ]

Electoral performance [ edit ]

House of Representatives [ edit ]

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government 2013 Bob Katter 134,226 1.04 1 / 150 1 6th Crossbench 2016

D-D) Bob Katter 72,879 0.54 1 / 150 1 9th Crossbench

Senate [ edit ]

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government 2013 Bob Katter 119,920 0.89 0 / 76 10th Not in chamber 2016

D-D) Bob Katter 53,123 0.38 0 / 76 20th Not in chamber

Queensland Legislative Assembly [ edit ]

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government 2012 Robbie Katter 282,098 11.53 2 / 89 3rd Crossbench 2015 Ray Hopper 50,588 1.83 2 / 89 5th Crossbench 2017 Robbie Katter 62,613 2.32 3 / 93 5th Crossbench

See also [ edit ]