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Rackemann 'Appalled' By Foreign Land Sales March 16, 2012 - Katter's Australian Party candidate for Nanango Carl Rackemann has contacted SBBiz to to say how appalled he is over a report on Today Tonight this week that detailed the sale of a Victorian State Government dairy research farm at Kyabram to a Chinese investor and the alleged "spruiking" of Australian farms overseas by former politicians. "If this story is true, it seems the dots are finally starting to get joined up. How can this be going on? What is the agenda?" Carl asked. "Why are the Liberal Party, the Labor Party and the National Party all in on it? Katter's Australian Party is appalled by this revelation. "If the aim is to sell off Australia then let's get on with it. It is not the aim of Katter's Australian Party. "I cannot believe this is being allowed to happen. Our party will cap foreign ownership of land at 49 per cent per title. "I would recommend having a look at our policy document 'Re-constructing Queensland' and at our agriculture policy 'Returning Confidence To Food and Agriculture'. "We cannot accept our farmland being sold off to foreign companies and foreign governments. Our farm land is being sacrificed, but why? I want our grandchildren to be eating Australian-grown food and drinking Australian-produced milk." Controversial MP Bob Katter will be returning to Kingaroy on March 21 for a public meeting at Kingaroy Town Hall * * * Greens candidate for Nanango Grant Newson has criticised an LNP promise to put a three-year freeze on registration fees for family vehicles, saying it will hurt farmers. Motorcyclists, truck and ute drivers are expected to pay more in registration fees to help fund the LNP promise. "Every farmer has either a ute, truck or motorbike, if not all of them to help with rural life and farm work," Mr Newson said. "People are fed up with paying more for everything and receiving nothing in return, especially when these vehicles are needed for normal rural living. "Rural residents and farmers are already doing it hard enough through bad management from the current government. Slugging them for extra money from vehicles that are an essential part of farming life is not going to help." * * * The date for the annual Colours of Yarraman festival has been changed again. Organisers say a decision to hold the festival on September 14-16 has been made due to: Comments from garden competitors that their gardens are prepared for a Springtime September competition, The Yarraman school is participating with a number of projects including growing plants for distribution to household gardens; School is in recess for school holidays immediately prior to the former October date; The October date clashed with a neighbouring festival. This year's event will also include a major sports carnival.

Unemployment Rate Hits 8.5% March 15, 2012 - Unemployment in the Wide Bay region has continued to rise - hitting 8.5 per cent in February. Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss said today the jump demanded immediate action from all levels of government. "The unemployment rate in our region has been volatile, reaching a peak of 12.3 per cent in August last year before dropping to 5.3 per cent in November," Mr Truss said. "The sharp rise to 7.5 per cent in January, to 8.5 per cent in February, indicates that action is needed to create jobs and strengthen the regional economy." Mr Truss said the State and Federal ALP governments had broken their promises to create new jobs. "The Bligh Labor Government could have created countless jobs in Maryborough by awarding its multi-billion dollar train project to local manufacturer Downer EDI instead of inviting offshore contractors to tender and create jobs in Asia," Mr Truss said.