Dr Daniel Collins has been selected to fly the Katter’s Australian Party flag in Leichhardt for the 3 May federal election. Photo: Supplied.
A doctorate holder with a background in land management and human rights who says he is sick of the region going in the “wrong direction” has been selected by Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) as their candidate for Leichhardt.
Dr Daniel Collins will fly the KAP flag in the lead-up to next month’s federal election and he told Cape York Weekly he believed the far north of the state was falling behind through underwhelming leadership.
“I’ve travelled and worked all over North Queensland and around the world in land management and human rights issues, and I’ve noticed in the last five years that North Queensland is simply not reaching its full potential,” he said.
“I also know from my experience with the landscape we have here that we could be doing so much more in Leichhardt.
“I simply couldn’t sit around and do nothing while North Queensland continues to go in the wrong direction; I decided that I should try to do something now; I believe we can protect and manage our landscape without the impost of World Heritage [status].”
Dr Collins, whose PhD is in tropical forest ecology and regeneration, said he believed there was untapped potential for a revitalised timber industry to provide economic growth and employment opportunities across Cape York, as well as delivering positive environmental outcomes.
“There are huge untapped industries in land management that nothing is being done about, such as forestry and agroforestry,” he said.
“There should be a big push to reboot the timber industry by planting thousands of hectares with our incredible native timbers in new state forests, and large plantations of high-value exotic timbers.
“This would involve both Indigenous and other residents, and be money in the bank for future generations, as well as storing huge amounts of carbon and therefore combating climate change.”
Despite not being a federal issue, crime is also high on the KAP candidate’s agenda, and he said he believed the party’s Castle Law legislation was needed to turn around the current youth crime problem plaguing Far North Queensland.
KAP’s so-called Castle Law legislation, if passed, would provide people the right to defend themselves or others during a home or property invasion without fear of legal consequences.
“Crime is obviously now at a point that something drastic must be done,” Dr Collins said.
“Katter’s Australian Party’s Castle Law is a basic human right, and is the answer.”
After previously living on Cape York, Dr Collins said he believed he was better placed to represent the region because of his lived experience of the challenges facing Cape York and Torres Strait residents.
“I’m far more experienced on Cape York and the islands than any other candidate,” he said.
“I lived for years in many places all over Cape York, and I have lived both in the bush and in the communities.
“I know the lifestyle and the problems, and I believe establishing land- and sea-based industries is the way forward.”
