Fraser Anning dumped by Katter’s Australia Party
Senator Fraser Anning (pictured left with leader Bob Katter) may end up out of the Katter Australia Party. Photo: AAP
Senator Fraser Anning has been dumped from Katter’s Australian Party (KAP), after the party took issue with his contentious views on race.
The Queensland Senator’s time in Federal Parliament has been tumultuous, with him leaving One Nation just hours before being sworn in to the Upper House after a spat with leader Pauline Hanson. He then joined KAP.
Speaking in Canberra on Thursday, KAP leader Bob Katter said Senator Anning’s views on race and non-European migration did not sit well with him.
“The party can not and will not have any representative … dividing Australia along racial, European and non-European divides, which in fact destroys the message which was carried so initially extremely well and laudably by Senator Fraser Anning,” Mr Katter said.
“Despite of the most severe and clear warnings, Senator Anning has continued down this pathway and consequently we announce the termination of his endorsement by the KAP.
Clearly Fraser wants the freedom to pursue his crusade and we think it is best for he and the party to give him this freedom.
Senator Anning last week sought to introduce a bill for a plebiscite on non-European migration to Australia, “to give the people a say on who comes to this country”.
“We’ve had a plebiscite on same-sex marriage. This is a far more important issue, and it’s one the Australian people, I’m sure, would like to have a say in,” Senator Anning told reporters last week.
He said his plebiscite would also ask whether “Muslim immigration” should be stopped.
He denied this was bigoted, saying it was not “bigoted at all to give Australians a say in who comes here”.
“As we’ve seen in London and Paris right now, it’s a war zone at times and the groups I’ve just mentioned, the Muslims, are predominantly … they’re the ones causing the problems,” Senator Anning said.
Mr Katter today said he would have voted against the bill if it ever came to Parliament.
Mr Katter claimed KAP was the “most anti-racist” in Parliament.
“We have championed the cause of the Sikhs, I’ve moved legislation in here on behalf of the Sikhs, we’ve championed the cause of legislation for the Jewish people,” he said.
“We’ve championed the cause, and I will often speak as a First Australian, I identify very strongly as a First Australian.
