The Australia Institute sent letters on January 8th 2015 (copy of letter to LNP) to Queensland’s main political parties. Responses were requested by January 19th, 2015. Responses received:

Queensland Labor Party – ALP response – PDF

Queensland Greens – Greens response – PDF

Bob Katter’s Australia Party:

Response to The Australia Institute Letter to Katter’s Australian Party concerning Fitzgerald’s principles for Good Government dated 8 Jan 2015.

The principles espoused by MR Fitzgerald are motherhood statements which it is felt that all parties and candidates in Queensland will agree with in principle. Even those parties or individuals who we believe will totally  disregard the principles would never admit to disagreeing with the actual principles.

WE stand by our core values and principles which I have attached below  and the reputation, behaviour and voting records of our current elected members.

In any case thankyou for your request for Katter’s Australian Party opinion on the principles of Government outlined below:

KAP agrees completely with the principles listed below:

We undertake that we will govern or vote  in favour of:

1. Peace, welfare and good government of the State;

2. Make all decisions and take all actions, including public appointments, in the public interest without regard to personal, party political or other immaterial considerations;

3. Treat all people equally without permitting any person or corporation special access or influence; and

4. Promptly and accurately inform the public of its reasons for all significant or potentially controversial decisions and actions.

We support  the retention of the reforms initiated by the Fitzgerald Royal Commission and will support any move to depoliticise the Crime and Misconduct Commission.

Katter’s Australian Party Core Values and Principles

1. Every Member of the Party, including Members of Parliament, will, in making decisions, vote in the interests of their electorate, consistent with their conscience and in accordance with the following values and principles.
2. Modern Australia was founded on Christian values and a responsibility to one’s fellow man.  This heritage belongs to all Australians and defines the culture of the nation. The ideals for Australian society and government should be based upon these principles.
3. Governments are accountable to the Australian people for the management of outcomes that protect and enhance both the social and economic fabric of the Australian people and the sovereignty and independence of the Australian nation.
4. Governments should develop and promote policies which maintain and advance a modern mixed economic system that will ensure economic growth, full employment, equitable distribution of income, rising living standards, prosperity, opportunity and equality of access to such opportunity for all Australians, to ensure:
   1. freedom of speech and expression which should not be abused by intimidation, malice, violence or wilful intolerance;
   2. equality of opportunity;
   3. equality before the law;
   4. social cohesion;
   5. acceptance of personal responsibility and accountability;
   6. support for those in genuine need while that need exists
   7. encouragement and nurturing of individual initiative, and the development of every person’s, and especially children’s, talents and skills to the maximum;
   8. responsibility to contribute; and
   9. respect for all talents, skills and occupations, regardless of the level of formal education required to acquire them.
   10. Australia’s sovereignty and independence as a nation requires Australia to:
       1. have a sufficient Defence Force to deter invasion and to prevent any territorial intrusion or threat;
       2. maintain strategic defence industry capabilities to ensure Australia is self-sufficient in the manufacture of strategic Defence requirements;
       3. establish and nurture relationships and alliances to secure support and assistance in times of peril;
       4. exercise appropriate stewardship and development of our resources;
       5. have a strong economy which is as self-sufficient as is practicable;
       6. be self-sufficient in the production of food and to ensure security of food supply;
       7. ensure that Australia’s food is produced in a disease-free environment and that the importing of diseases which threaten our food supply does not occur;
       8. ensure security of strategic resources, including minerals;
       9. have a sufficient population and for that population to be so distributed as to demonstrate occupation, control and utilisation of our land, water and other resources; and
       10. put Australia’s interests first in respect to ownership of agricultural land, corporations, utilities, resources, and the means of production and ensure that foreign ownership or control of resources and agricultural production only occurs when it is in the national interest and does not undermine or threaten Australia’s independence and sovereignty.
   11. Governments must ensure that every Australian is, and in particular employees, farmers and franchisees are, able to bargain collectively to protect and promote their economic interests and that all, wherever practicable, have access to compulsory arbitration.
   12. In principle non-government monopoly power should not be allowed and limits should be placed where possible on the proportion of the market any entity controls.
   13. Governments must ensure that a concentration of market power does not occur, whether such concentration is monopolistic, oligopolistic or just unfairly out of balance.
   14. Governments should provide essential services such as airports, water, electricity, gas, health services, road networks, public transport and communications. Where such services are not provided by government, government should ensure that the services are affordable for all and of a reasonable standard.
   15. Australians must have the freedom to pursue outdoor recreational activities of their choice including hunting, shooting, fishing, boating, camping, 4-wheel driving, horse riding, rock climbing, and bushwalking without unnecessary limitations and restrictions.
   16. Vacant land such as State Forest and some unallocated lands and seas now designated as “off-limits” are to be owned and accessible by the people. They are not the exclusive domain of the “Crown”.
   17. Resources should be developed and utilised whilst at the same time fulfilling our obligation to future generations that such utilisation does not needlessly or irresponsibly result in the degradation of those resources.
   18. Homes are to be safe and exclusive havens for all those who reside within them.
   19. Home ownership is critical to people’s sense of freedom, independence and personal security and to facilitating the raising and nurturing of children. All Australians, including our First Australians, must have the ability to own their homes and governments must implement policies to make home ownership attainable for all Australians.
   20. Government interference in people’s lives must finish at the family fence or property boundary. Legislation overriding all other laws must provide that intrusion and interference upon that household can only occur where human health and life is in serious and immediate jeopardy.
   21. Property owners may do what is reasonably required to ensure the security of their family, their property and themselves as well as to ensure its quiet and safe enjoyment.
   22. Where governments diminish the value of a person’s property, the government must compensate that person by paying just compensation.
   23. Because it is in the economic and social interests of the community, laws in their enactment and application must support and uphold marriage. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman, ideally for life. It is in the best interests of children that they are nurtured by their father and their mother and laws concerning children should be based on the best interests of children.
   24. It is the duty of government to:
       1. ensure that bank lending provides real wealth creation in terms of improvements to the quality of life of the average Australian;
       2. prevent the flow of credit creation into speculation and predatory activity; and
       3. ensure that the wealth creators and risk takers are not subject to a one sided and unrestrained banking foreclosure policy.
   25. Governments must ensure that all Australians have access to necessary finance at affordable prices and that financial institutions do not abuse their financial powers. If necessary, governments should intervene in markets to ensure that these principles are achieved and that government is involved in the process of the provision of finance and credit to provide inter alia a bench-marking.
   26. Australia needs to increase its population to achieve acceptable levels of economic, scientific, strategic and personal development. Government must develop immigration and birth rate policies consistent with these principles. In addition, the population growth needs to be distributed widely throughout Australia and especially into northern Australia.

Palmer United Party:

Clive Palmer and John Bjelke-Petersen contacted the Australia Institute on January 17 by email. They stated that they “support the principles 100%”.

Liberal National Party of Queensland

On Saturday 24 January 2015, the LNP responded, after Leader Campbell Newman gave impromptu approval to Fitzgerald’s principles in the People’s Forum Debate the preceding night – LNP response – PDF.