Robbie Katter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Katter in 2015 | |
| Leader of Katter's Australian Party | |
| Assumed office 3 February 2020 | |
| Deputy | Nick Dametto |
| Preceded by | Bob Katter |
| In office 26 April 2012 – 29 November 2012 Interim | |
| Deputy | Shane Knuth Aiden McLindon |
| Succeeded by | Ray Hopper |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly forTraeger Mount Isa (2012–2017) | |
| Assumed office 24 March 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Betty Kiernan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Carl Ignatius Katter (1977-03-03)3 March 1977 (age 48) Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Party | Katter's Australian (since 2011) |
| Other political affiliations | National (before 2001) Independent (2001–2011) |
| Spouse(s) | [1] [2][3] |
| Relations | Katter family |
| Parent(s) | Bob Katter Jr. Susan O'Rourke |
| Relatives | Bob Katter Sr. (grandfather) Carl Katter (half–uncle) Alex Douglas (cousin) |
| Residence(s) | Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia |
| Education | St. Columba Catholic College |
| Alma mater | Queensland University of Technology |
| Occupation | |
| Profession | |
| Website | robbiekatter |
Other offices[1]
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Robert Carl Ignatius Katter (born 3 March 1977) is an Australian politician. He serves as the member of theLegislative Assembly of Queensland forTraeger, having previously representedMount Isa from 2012 to 2017.[4] He is the leader ofKatter's Australian Party, having taken over from his fatherBob Katter in February 2020.
Katter was born on 3 March 1977 inNorth Queensland. His father isBob Katter, the federal member forKennedy and founder of Katter's Australian Party, and his grandfatherBob Katter Sr. was also a federal MP. He received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Property Economics from theQueensland University of Technology.[5][6]
Katter started his career as a mine worker inMount Isa,[4][6] before working as a property valuer for fifteen years and running a small business in Mount Isa.[7]
He won Mount Isa at the2012 state election, pushingLabor incumbentBetty Kiernan into third place.[6][8] He capitalised on his family's name recognition in the area. Mount Isa was virtually coextensive with the western portion of his father's federal seat ofKennedy, and much of the eastern portion of the seat was once part of the elder Katter's old state seat ofFlinders.
After his election to the Legislative Assembly, he became Queensland leader of his father's party, but on 29 November 2012, it was announced that he had been succeeded as leader byRay Hopper, and would become the party's "parliamentary secretary".[9] Following Hopper's defeat at the 2015 election, Katter once again became state leader.[10]
The state electorate of Mount Isa was abolished in 2017, and Katter followed most of his constituents into the new seat of Traeger. The new seat was essentially the northern, more urbanised portion of Katter's former seat, and is based on Mount Isa. The seat was created as a comfortably safe KAP seat, and Katter won it handily.
He serves on the boards of the Laura Johnson Home, a retirement home, and the Southern Gulf Catchments, an environmental organisation.[4]
In February 2020, he was appointed leader of the Katter's Australian Party.[11]
At the2020 Queensland state election Katter retained his seat ofTraeger with 58.85 per cent of first preference votes and 74.72 per cent of thetwo-party-preferred vote.[12]
At the2024 Queensland state election Katter retained his seat ofTraeger.
Robbie Katter is anagrarian socialist, beginning a speech in the Queensland Parliament in 2017 by saying "The members opposite refer to agrarian socialism as though it is a bad thing. I wear it like a badge."[13]
In 2020, Katter called for the federal government to buy back Qantas Airline.[14][15]
In April 2022, Katter said he would move a bill to ban transgender athletes from women's sport in the state.[16] In May 2022, he proposed a motion which was voted down 49 votes to 33. The oppositionLiberal National Party of Queensland voted with him.[17]
Katter advocatesNorth Queensland statehood.[18] On 22 May 2024, Katter introduced amotion in the Queensland Parliament that would separate North Queensland from the rest of the state, and called for aReferendum to be held in the North to allow residents to have their say on the matter. Katter claimed that the region was being neglected by the state's South East, particularly in the areas of investment, infrastructure and disaster relief.[19]
Katter is anti-abortion and has made a pledge to introduce a Private Members Bill into the post-election 2024 Queensland Parliament.[20]
Katter is married to Daisy (née Hatfield),[21] a former journalist. They met when Daisy was working forWIN Television in Townsville on an assignment to interview him. They have three children, Peaches Grace Hatfield Katter, born 2020, Rosie Elizabeth Frances Hatfield Katter, born 2021, Georgina Isabella Hatfield Katter, born 2023.[22][23] As of August 2025, Daisy is pregnant with their fourth child, due in December.[24]
In 2018, Katter gained a pilot license, a four-year process which Katter taught himself. He stated that it was necessary to properly represent his large rural electorate, with his home inMount Isa and electorate office inCharters Towers being 800 kilometres apart.[25] In May 2023, Katter damaged his 1985Mooney M20 plane bylanding without lowering the landing gear atMount Isa Airport. Katter was unhurt in the incident.[26] In August 2025, Katter again crash landed his 1985 plane at Mount Isa Airport, accidentally barrel-rolling his plane on approach to the airport's runaway. His wife Daisy, pregnant with his fourth child, and his parliamentary chief of staff Cameron Parker, were aboard the plane with Katter, but all passengers were uninjured.[27][28]
| Parliament of Queensland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forMount Isa 2012–2017 | Abolished |
| New seat | Member forTraeger 2017–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader ofKatter's Australian Party in Queensland 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader ofKatter's Australian Party in Queensland 2015–present | Incumbent |