Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter said the policy would drive prices down.

“If the state KAP candidates and independents gain the balance of power at the next election, we will have the ability to introduce a reserved resource policy,” Mr Katter said.

 “This will have a noticeable and lasting influence on electricity prices, driving the prices down.

 “The towering stupidity of previous governments in Mount Isa who privatised the Mount Isa power station and introduced gas electricity essentially hits the people of Mount Isa with exorbitant power bills each year.

 “If we can get a reserved resource policy then we can go in the exact opposite direction of the two major parties, roping off assets to be owned by the people now and forever – and lower electricity prices,” Mr Katter said.

 The restructure would be of great benefit to the the mining industry, state member for Mount Isa Rob Katter said.

Rob Katter engineered the Reserve Resource policy agreement after Incitec Pivot announced that its continued business operations were in serious threat in Mount Isa.

“They cannot afford to keep running their fertiliser plant in Mount Isa when they are forced to pay $9 a gigajoule for gas powered electricity, instead of $3 a gigajoule, which was the price of gas when the mine was first built,” he said.

“Incitec Pivot is looking at taking their mining interest offshore due to the prohibitive pricing of electricity in Mount Isa.”

KAP leader Ray Hopper  said the KAP state team had voted unanimously – with support from independent MPs Peter Wellington and Alex Douglas – on just the opposite concept of the sale of the assets and the exporting of resources.