Council ‘stalling Katter protest’

Council ‘stalling Katter protest’

Mount Isa Council has been accused of trying to prevent a same-sex marriage rally taking place in front of Queensland MP Bob Katter’s electorate office this month.

Rally organiser and Mount Isa local James Newburrie sent in a request to council on August 31 requesting permission to stage the protest on September 11. On September 1 he received a letter stating the council could not approve the permit until he could prove he had secured public liability insurance and show he had police approval for the proposed event.

Newburrie said the council is deliberately trying to stall his application.

“It is my belief that the council is trying to ‘bluff’ me into backing down,” Newburrie told the Star Observer.

“If the council wants to stop this small, peaceful demonstration they know that they need to take me to court.

“It is astonishing to me that I may need to sue the council to exercise my democratic rights.”

Queensland’s Peaceful Assembly Act requires organisers of public rallies seek permission from both police and local authorities.

Newburrie said local police have given him the unofficial go-ahead to stage the protest.

Mount Isa Mayor John Molony, however, has strongly rejected Newburrie’s claims saying it is standard practice to request event organisers have public liability insurance.

“This has got nothing to do with the topic of the activity … it was just a straight forward response,” Molony told the Star Observer.

“No matter who you are you, if you hold an event on public property and someone gets hurt they’re liable to sue. If he doesn’t have insurance I suggest he speak to a friendly incorporated body or one of his parent organisations and gets auspiced …. no one is trying to create obstacles or impede him. You must comply with the laws of the land.”

Newburrie said he is now left it a difficult position after being told by two leading insurers that insurance is not available for public rallies and event insurance is not available to individuals.

Last month Newburrie announced he would stage the marriage equality protest in the outback mining town to protest against his local MP Bob Katter’s well publicised views on same-sex marriage.

At a pro-marriage rally in Canberra recently, Katter said same-sex marriage should be “laughed at and ridiculed.” In the past Katter has been quoted denying homosexuals are a part of his electorate.

Bob Katter’s son Robbie Katter is currently serving as a councillor on Mount Isa Council. Robbie Katter told Mount Isa local paper The North West Star last month, he too, opposes same-sex marriage.

Bob Katter’s gay younger half-brother Carl recently told Channel Ten’s George Negus that his brother’s anti-gay and anti-marriage equality views were “hurtful”.

“It’s dangerous, it’s damaging and it’s really inappropriate,” he said. “[He] doesn’t give any support to his argument by perpetuating hate.”

INFO: Anyone able to help Newburrie secure public liability insurance should email their details to Southern Star Observer editor Andie Noonan at [email protected] and she will put you in touch with him.

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2 responses to “Council ‘stalling Katter protest’”

  1. I hope others in Mt Isa join with James on this. Even though so many are closeted in the country areas he hopefully will get support from GLBT friendly straights in the area who disagree with Bob Katter’s remarks. And it’s no wonder the council was stalling with one of Bob Katter’s sons on the council – I hope his half brother shows up – now that would be embarrassing for the old bastard

  2. Steady on James, Bob Katter will have to walk backwards to Bourke, or just admit he was a liar who did lots of peculiar dog whistling for almighty fundamentalist.

    Seriously though, you have ignited a flame of hope for all those who believe in freedom. There were times growing up in a remote country area, I needed the warmth of that flame of yours. I hope it now burns eternally bright.

    Bob Katter has given us a fake mirage called Kennedy, refusing the existence of even one gay man. My heart feels for Bob’s brother, this man has suffered. Bob’s cruelty to his own flesh and blood, his inhumanity, his deceit, his endless lies, his slurs we stole parts of the English Language, foul the air we breathe. He laboured making dark out of the darkness for what? The thrash of his political power has a price – us. Good people. Innocent hard working people, our sacrifice, the fear created about us, is for the ugliness of political power by deception, this bravo about us was a disguise, a mask to hide the man making dark out of the darkness.

    The mongrel politics of hate and fear are from the Devil’s Tool Shed. I do not know how many people Bob has helped up onto a bridge over the years, but the sadness is he has a cheer squad. The people who think he serves them are panning Fool’s Gold, as Bob serves only Bob Katter.