Robbie Katter
Katter in 2015
Leader of the Katter's Australian Party
Assumed office
3 February 2020
DeputyNick Dametto
Preceded byBob Katter
In office
26 April 2012  29 November 2012
Interim
DeputyShane Knuth
Aiden McLindon
Succeeded byRay Hopper
Member of the
Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Traeger (2017–present)
Mount Isa (2012–2017)
Assumed office
24 March 2012
Preceded byBetty Kiernan
Personal details
Born
Robert Carl Ignatius Katter

(1977-03-03) 3 March 1977
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Political partyKatter's Australian (since 2011)
Other political
affiliations
National (before 2001)
Independent (2001–2011)
Spouse(s)
Stacey Milner
(m. 2005; div. 2009)
[1]
Daisy Hatfield
(m. 2017)
[2][3]
RelationsKatter family
Parent(s)Bob Katter Jr.
Susan O'Rourke
RelativesBob Katter Sr. (grandfather)
Carl Katter (half–uncle)
Alex Douglas (cousin)
Residence(s)Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
EducationSt. Columba Catholic College
Alma materQueensland University of Technology
Occupation
Profession
Websiterobbiekatter.com.au
Other offices

Robert Carl Ignatius Katter (born 3 March 1977) is an Australian politician. He serves as the member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Traeger, having previously represented Mount Isa from 2012 to 2017.[4] He is the leader of Katter's Australian Party, having taken over from his father Bob Katter in February 2020.

Biography

Early life

Katter was born on 3 March 1977 in North Queensland.[4][5] His father is Bob Katter, the federal member for Kennedy and founder of Katter's Australian Party, and his grandfather Bob Katter Sr. was also a federal MP. He received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Property Economics from the Queensland University of Technology.[4]

Early career

Katter started his career as a mine worker in Mount Isa,[4][5] before working as a property valuer for fifteen years and running a small business in Mount Isa.[6]

Political career (2012–present)

He won Mount Isa at the 2012 state election, pushing Labor incumbent Betty Kiernan into third place.[5][7] He capitalised on his family's name recognition in the area. Mount Isa was virtually coextensive with the western portion of his father's federal seat of Kennedy, and much of the eastern portion of the seat was once part of the elder Katter's old state seat of Flinders.

After his election to the Legislative Assembly, he became Queensland leader of his father's party, but on 29 November 2012, it was announced that he had been succeeded as leader by Ray Hopper, and would become the party's "parliamentary secretary".[8] Following Hopper's defeat at the 2015 election, Katter once again became state leader.[9]

The state electorate of Mount Isa was abolished in 2017, and Katter followed most of his constituents into the new seat of Traeger. The new seat was essentially the northern, more urbanised portion of Katter's former seat, and is based on Mount Isa. The seat was created as a comfortably safe KAP seat, and Katter won it handily.

He serves on the boards of the Laura Johnson Home, a retirement home, and the Southern Gulf Catchments, an environmental organisation.[4]

In February 2020, he was appointed leader of the Katter's Australian Party.[10]

At the 2020 Queensland state election Katter retained his seat of Traeger with 58.85 per cent of first preference votes and 74.72 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote.[11]

Political views

Robbie Katter is an agrarian socialist, beginning a speech in the Queensland Parliament in 2017 by saying "The members opposite refer to agrarian socialism as though it is a bad thing. I wear it like a badge."

In 2020, Katter called for the federal government to buy back Qantas Airline.[12][13]

In April 2022, Katter said he will move a bill to ban transgender athletes from women's sport in the state.[14] In May 2022, he proposed a motion which was voted down 49 votes to 33. The opposition Liberal National Party of Queensland voted with him.[15]

Personal life

Katter is married to Daisy (née Hatfield),[16] a former journalist. They met when Daisy was working for WIN Television in Townsville on an assignment to interview him. They have one child, Peaches Grace Katter, born 2020.[17][18]

References

  1. "Subscribe – couriermail". couriermail.com.au.
  2. "Katter caught by ABC reporter".
  3. MacIntyre, Esther (4 September 2017). "Wedding bells for Daisy Hatfield and Robbie Katter".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Queensland, c=AU; o=The State of Queensland; ou=Parliament of. "Former Members Bio". parliament.qld.gov.au.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 3 "Rob". robkatter.com.au.
  6. Interview with Robbie Katter MP, The Betoota Advocate Podcast, Ep 130.
  7. "Mount Isa – Queensland Votes 2012 – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  8. Hurst, Daniel (29 November 2012). "LNP defector clinches Katter party leadership". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  9. "Katter's Australian Party could hold the ticket to government in dramatic Queensland election". ABC Online. 2 February 2015.
  10. Lynch, Lydia (2 February 2020). "Bob Katter hands over party leadership to his son". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  11. Electoral Commission of Queensland (11 May 2022). "2020 State General Election". www.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  12. "Robbie Katter urges federal government to buy back Qantas". 20 April 2020.
  13. "QANTAS buy in not bail out best option for Australia". 20 April 2020.
  14. "Katter wants trans athletes banned in QLD". 22 April 2022.
  15. "LNP backs 'repugnant' Katter motion on transgender women playing sport". ABC News. 11 May 2022.
  16. MacIntyre, Esther (4 September 2017). "Daisy and Robbie Katter share stunning photos of Spring wedding". The North West Star. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  17. Barry, Derek (21 April 2020). "Robbie and Daisy Katter have a baby girl". The North West Star. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  18. Butterworth, Kelly (22 April 2020). "Robbie Katter and wife Daisy welcome Peaches Grace to the family - ABC News". ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 6 February 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.