Katter's Mad Hatter Party put its spin on blood money funding

Yesterday's The Australian featured the disturbing revelation that Bob Katter's Australia Party is funded by an arms company which is also associated with the murder of endangered species.

Today, further claims that the Party then provides bullets to people (via gun clubs) in return for their support.

I don't condone the arms industry or the slaughter of African animals (even if they are from a game reserve).

I wrote to Katter and the arms company, NIOA (the MD is Katter's son-in-law and Party vice-president). I received a reply only from Katter's people. I'd mention that NIOA was banned by Seaworld from hosting its 2010 Christmas party there because of its association with the killing of wildlife (the company advertises in hunting magazines).

I received the usual preprepared reply, with an attachment of their Party manifesto.

What the Party has done is put its "spin" (they refer to the endangered animals as being from "on a property that breeds animals"). Really, so that makes it okay?

The fact remains, these animals are murdered for what passes as sport or recreation (quite disturbing behaviour in most people's minds).

The fact also remains that the party accepts donations from the arms industry, which supplies weapons to these people. The company in question advertises in a range of hunting magazines. I'm all for shooting as a pasttime/sport (having served in the Army for 17 years) but not animals.

Rather than stand up for the rights of people to "have a flutter", Bob Katter might stand up for the rights of helpless animals.

It just reinforces the notion that this mob are just a bunch of redneck hillbillies. Maybe the Party should be renamed Katter's Mad Hatters. As one media report said: "the cowboys are calling the shots".

Today's The Australian
My site: http://www.prlab.com.au

Election a PR bore

I’ve refrained from too much comment on the forthcoming Australian election. But as we near the end, with six days of campaigning remaining, I’ve faltered. I’m fed up and bored.

Following Labor’s campaign “launch” (again) today I could not help but feel how uninspiring it all is – and not just Labor. Kevin Rudd was monotone (bla, blah, blah). So was Howard.

There is nothing visionary about either Party. It’s simply come down to a series of daily pork-barrelling promises, accompanied by the ritual PR photo opportunity. Stock-standard and boring. Does anyone remember what Howard promised yesterday.

It’s all simplistic spin – fairy floss for the masses. Where is the substance and the leadership? It’s just about spending, in turn fuelling inflation (there goes your tax cuts, folks). Come to think of it, where's the imagination?

Despite this lack of lustre, and our ability to radically change our direction, we will continue to vote as lemmings – Labor or Liberal.