“I never said Mount Isa faces an economic crisis, as I’ve been quoted, in fact I’m very satisfied with the stability of the mining situation now.

“The context was giving evidence under oath to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission in Mount Isa regarding the impact extended trading hours for large stores would have on the economy of Mount Isa, particularly the viability of small corner stores.

“I did not blame the economic decline on the mining industry; that would be simplistic. I carefully outlined the economic impacts that had hit Mount Isa over the past six to 12 months, to counter the outdated figures the lawyer for the NRA was using to suggest Mount Isa was still in a boom time.

“It is no secret there are significant threats to the region, and 7 day trading would be one of them. The most obvious one is the mining downturn, and I don’t blame the mining industry for that at all; another threat is the drought.

“I wasn’t trying to sugar coat the situation, but at the same time, I knew the NRA was trying to spruik the figures to make it look as though Mount Isa was booming and therefore needed seven day trading.

“Those figures were ridiculous in today’s context and I had to counter them.”

Mr Katter said he was optimistic about the future of Mount Isa and the region.

“We have a lot to be positive about, including the very real possibility of the gas pipeline routed through Mount Isa. That would be huge for the city and the region, giving us energy security.”