In his 23 years as Member for Kennedy he has secured absolutely nothing for the people of Mount Isa, or the region.         

Mr Katter’s much repeated claim about securing $120 million for the highway upgrade, between Cloncurry and the Northern Territory border, (North West Star April 9) is about as mythical as his previously claimed swimming prowess and his four minute mile.                

The $120 million was secured by a number of individuals and groups working together, Mr Katter never participated in the lengthy process.

People who have taken the trouble to read his Canberra Comments in the North West Star recently, must be already convinced that his best days are behind him, and that he should quit now.

The recent ravings about canals to the Gulf of Carpentaria are as preposterous as earlier ravings about the Bradfield scheme, and are an insult to anyone’s intelligence, except perhaps the dissentients who support him.

It really is time the Electors of Kennedy took steps to rid themselves of this drone, and elect someone who will genuinely put the voters interests first.

Ron McCullough

Mount Isa

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Leanne Donaldson continues to pedal falsehoods that Biosecurity Queensland was gutted by the former Liberal National Party government.

Readers can form their own opinion why she does this even in the face of the independent review, finally released this week, which found 90 per cent of frontline staff had been retained.

Staff redeployment under the LNP saw reductions in temporary/contract staff in the fire ant program through the adoption of high-tech, infrared surveillance technology – a management change that’s continued under the Palaszczuk Labor government.

When reforming a dedicated Agriculture Department, the LNP made no excuses for axing 40 “spin doctor” positions from the Beattie-Bligh years and using the savings to employ a similar number of frontline staff including biosecurity officers to tackle wild dogs, other pest animals and weeds.

These were real, frontline jobs in the regions, staff dealing directly with farmers.

While the LNP worked hard to re-establish the Department, it’s two-faced of the current Minister to pedal falsehoods about savage staff cuts, especially when her Government’s 2015 Budget Papers show a near 10 per cent cut in biosecurity staff from 621 to 561. See page 15.

Previous Minister Bill Byrne attempted to brush this aside before vacating the job.

At Budget Estimates last year he comprehensively failed to explain why he’d made the cuts before the findings of Labor’s much-vaunted review of biosecurity were released.

Labor’s new Minister has finally released the review. Look through her response as closely as you like, there’s no commitment to do anything.

Deb Frecklington MP

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Fly high beautiful girl, So young, gone way too soon, my thoughts are with you Robyn and family in this difficult time – ​Charmaine Hartwig

Thoughts and prayers go to Robyn and family during this sad time. RIP Tanika – ​Anastasia Bravos 

What a loss to our community. I had the pleasure of teaching Tanika during her nursing studies and she was an absolutely delightful soul. My heart goes out to her family and friends – ​Elspeth Wood