Qld major parties owned by miners: Katter

11 Feb 2012, 3:49 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Bob Katter says the two major parties will both sell off Queensland's assets if they win the state election on March 24.

Katter's Australian Party is the only alternative to two mainstream parties which are owned by mining companies and will sell off Queensland's assets, its leader Bob Katter says.

The federal independent MP received a rock star's treatment at his fledgling conservative party's first convention in Brisbane on Saturday.

Introduced to a standing ovation from about 250 of the party faithful, Mr Katter told the packed room that the Liberal National Party was no different to Queensland Labor.

LNP leader Campbell Newman was half-owned by mining magnate Clive Palmer and the coal seam gas industry, he said.

Premier Anna Bligh was guaranteed to sell electricity infrastructure if Labor was re-elected at next month's state poll, but so would the LNP, Mr Katter said.

"If the LNP gets elected, they'll sell them faster," he said.

"You can't sell off those assets. Those assets belong to the people. They do not belong to the crown."

Mr Katter said the only solution was to vote for his party.

"If you vote for us it will be different," he said.

The maverick MP reaffirmed a string of policy goals, including opening a "super-fast" highway north from Brisbane, supporting the ethanol industry and slashing fuel prices, re-regulating the dairy industry and bringing manufacturing jobs back to Australia.

He said only 14.7 per cent of cars sold in Australia were made in Australia and that number was shrinking.

"This party is not going to stand aside and see that happen," he said.

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