Bob Katter and Greens Adam Bandt call for coal seam gas royal commission

While Mr Katter and his Greens counterpart, Melbourne MP Adam Bandt, are on opposite ends of the political spectrum on many issues, they are united in their opposition to coal seam gas. 

Mr Katter didn’t hold back when he presented his bill to parliament, claiming “the ugliest garbage dump and cesspool” would be uncovered if the royal commission went ahead

“There will be a lot of people of the mainstream parties who will be fighting tooth and nail to avoid this from happening,” Mr Katter said.

He took aim at the “revolving door” between the coal seam gas industry, public servants and politicians.

"One minute you're working for the government, forcing safe practice and looking after the interests of the people of Queensland and the next minute you are working for a coal-seam gas company,” Mr Katter said.

“It is the height of impropriety, where we would look and expect arm’s length relationships, we've got just the opposite.

“Another aspect that needs to be investigated is the $23 billion a year of wealth that is taken away from Australia and put into the hands of foreign corporations.”

Mr Katter also questioned how much the CSG industry donated to the major parties, the role it played in increasing domestic gas prices and the impact mining had on underground water resources.

He’s raised particular concerns about the conduct of coal seam gas companies during their negotiations with landowners, along with the inadequacies with the government compliance processes.

Mr Katter said he was “shockingly” working with the Greens.

“My only escape is that they are more embarrassed to be walking with me,” he joked.

“People on very different sides of the political spectrum are coming together because they know that this is wrong.”

The Queensland director of gas industry body APPEA, Rhys Turner, said Mr Katter was “denigrating an industry that is vital to the economy of his home state”.

“In 2015-16 alone, Queensland’s gas industry directly and indirectly supported almost 40,000 jobs and provided more than $12 billion in total value-added activities in the state through direct, indirect and consumption-based activities,” he said.

“Gas companies also provided 50,000 megalitres of water to farmers and the community last year and have made more than $300 million in direct payments to landholders who host gas projects.

“If Mr Katter removed his blinkers he’d see that natural gas is helping to strengthen and diversify regional communities and economies.”