Katter at rural crisis meeting

Organisers are expecting more than 2000 people from across the Wheatbelt to attend.

Mr Katter, who has been the member for the seat of Kennedy for a decade, is leader of the independent Katter’s Australian Party, which he says ‘unashamedly represents agriculture’.

Mr Katter resigned from the National Party in 2001 and easily retained his seat as an Independent at general elections in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.

Each time he ended up with almost 70 per cent of the vote, after preferences were distributed. He presently holds the seat with an 18-point margin, making it the fourth-safest seat in Australia.

Other invited speakers at the meeting include Professor Ross Kingwell, Ben Rees, Dr Mark McGovern and Senator Chris Back.

Prof Kingwell, from the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of WA, is also a chief economist at the WA Department of Agriculture and Food.

Mr Rees is a farmer and a research economist who has been a keynote speaker at many national rural conferences.

The objective of the meeting is to bring the severity of the crisis in agriculture to the attention of media and politicians and to have the State and Federal governments take direct action to solve the problems.

The meeting is open to anyone who would like to attend. Doors open at 9.30am.

A gold coin donation is requested and tea, coffee and food will be available.