Bob Katter has had a verbal spat with a political rival over a Senate investigation into the practices and power of supermarket giants.
Mr Katter and Nationals Senator Ross Caddell went head-to-head as the Queensland MP held a press conference at Hotel Canobolas in Orange, Western N.S.Wto introduce a bill on Tuesday to reduce the dominance of supermarkets.
Mr Cadell, who is taking part in the Senate inquiry, repeatedly interrupted Mr Katter, who became irate and warned him to stop talking about his speech.
“Why don’t you spend some time attacking Woolworths and Coles instead of playing politics?” Mr. Katter told the senator.
The exchange came after farmers and producers descended on the rural hotel to give statements to the inquiry into the corporatization of Australian supermarkets.
Queensland MP Bob Katter has fallen out with Nationals Senator Ross Caddell (pictured) over an investigation into supermarket pricing practices
Mr Katter held the conference in front of a sign reading ‘stop supermarket pigs and National Party pigs’, held by two people dressed in inflatable pig suits.
Mr Cadell told Mr Katter he was only interrupting to argue with independent MP Andrew Gee, who left the National Party in 2022 over The Voice referendum.
The senator interrupted Mr Katter as he responded to his comments and called Mr Gee a “stuntman”, angering the maverick minister.
“Don’t talk about me again, I’m warning you,” the Katter’s Australian Party founder said, pointing his finger at Cadell.
Returning to the media, he added: ‘This guy won’t shut up, he won’t let anyone else have his say.’
After being interrupted again, Mr. Katter took two steps toward Mr. Cadell, came face to face with his political opponent and once again told him to shut up.
His elimination of the senator and the National Party continued in a statement released later on Tuesday.
“(Mr Gee) and I were there for the farmers and to attack the big supermarkets,” Mr Katter said in the statement.
‘We are talking about real action, not investigations, we have the legislation that parliament has to vote on.
‘And here we had a guy attacking the people, attacking Woolworths and Coles.
“That’s fine – maybe it’s the National Party’s position to side with Woolworths and Coles. I’m going after the supermarkets and the Nationals are after me.’
Mr Katter then called on the National Party to remove Mr Cadell over the interaction, saying ‘his behavior was highly inappropriate’.
Mr Katter was furious as the senator continually interrupted him, repeatedly telling him to ‘shut up’, and called on the Nationals to expel him from the party.
Farmers and producers told the commission of inquiry that their prices have barely risen in 12 years, despite skyrocketing costs being passed on to shoppers
The inquiry has called on farmers from across Australia to provide evidence on how much supermarkets pay for produce and what price is passed on to shoppers.
Those in the industry warned the inquiry committee that the pricing practices of major supermarkets would leave small farmers and family businesses destitute.
“Within five to 10 years there will be no family farms left,” orange orchardist Guy Gaeta told the inquiry, according to the ABC.
“All you’re going to have are corporate farms, and they’re going to be as good a citizen to the consumer as they are now, and that’s scary.”
Apple and cherry producer Ian Pearce said he has told his children not to own the farm his family has operated for more than 100 years.
He added that he gets about $2.50 per kilo for gala apples from major supermarkets, just 12 cents more than in 2011, but he hasn’t seen his produce sold for much less than $5.
‘If we haven’t had a price increase in 12 years and our costs are going through the roof, what’s going to happen? I don’t see a future,” Pearce said.
The Senate committee will next hear from farmers in Melbourne, having previously traveled from Hobart.