Member for Traeger Robbie Katter says a sudden move to pull a wide range of breads from shelves in Queensland's northwest by Goodman Fielder has not "bathed them in glory on this one".
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Citing freight costs, the manufacturer has withdrawn a number of ranges from delivery to places including Mount Isa.
"I think it's terrible and unprofessional - it shows the contempt for some of these regional and remote communities and it's a consequence of the government taking their hands off the wheel and deregulating," Mr Katter said.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey told ABC northwest there may be an avenue to subsidise the freight to the west, but Mr Katter believes it is a band-aid fix that only serves to prop up large corporations.
"It was a very generous suggestion by the Transport Minister - I had a meeting earlier in the month with staff from the Treasury about the same issue, but it does sit uncomfortably with me that we would be using tax payer money to subsidise these big companies."
"That doesn't sit well with me, but I certainly wouldn't reject the idea to keep the service up."
He said the issues emerging now were reflective of past government decisions like privatising the rail and air networks.
"Now they're talking about deregulating trading hours, which puts more of the future of our social infrastructure into the hands of these large multi-nationals."
Mr Katter pointed to closures of Woolworths stores in Cloncurry and Mount Isa in recent years as an indicator that retail giants will do whatever suits them.
"The government has deregulated and sold off assets and we're counting the cost of that now," he said.
The Traeger MP said he was "looking for answers" and was hopeful to have a remedy for papers no longer being delivered soon.
"There are some very real solutions I'm working on for the newspapers right now," Mr Katter said.
"That's the challenge for us now as civic leaders is to try and restore something [both newspapers and bread ranges],"
Mr Katter said it was a consequence of large corporate dominance, but they had shown repeatedly they don't care for the regions.
"Big business are continually demonstrating they have no buy-in to the community welfare and service delivery to those communities.
"Big business has been dictating terms instead of government."
Jacob McMaster
I am passionate about amplifying people's stories and trying to do them justice in the written word. I find pressure washing videos soothing. email me jacob.mcmaster@austcommunitymedia.com.au or 0406 212 845.
I am passionate about amplifying people's stories and trying to do them justice in the written word. I find pressure washing videos soothing. email me jacob.mcmaster@austcommunitymedia.com.au or 0406 212 845.
