Bob Katter and Mayor Tom Tate agreed to disagree on the Mayor's redevelopment plans for the Spit yesterday. Pic: Jerad Williams
BOB Katter did a good impression of the Pied Piper of Hamelin yesterday when he managed to convince a dozen media representatives to follow him and leave Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate waiting in the wings.Cr Tate had organised the unveiling of the long-awaited ocean beaches strategy at Southport Lifesaving Club in Main Beach well before yesterday.
But an uninvited Mr Katter burst into the function and after announcing his support for the document, he told journalists, photographers and camera men that his own media conference was about to start downstairs.
"We are very, very supportive (of the ocean beaches strategy)," Mr Katter told the room packed with media, community and government representatives.
"(But) about other aspects relating to the Spit, we are very, very unsupportive (he said, referring to plans for a cruise ship terminal).
"Thank you. We are holding a press conference downstairs."
Rather than accepting Cr Tate's invitation to question him about the ocean beaches strategy, the majority of the media seemed happy to be hijacked and chose to head down to hear more about the Man in the Hat's plans for the Broadwater.
Mr Katter went on to re-state his lack of support for the cruise ship terminal and resort proposal Cr Tate was pushing.
"We believe the beaches on the Broadwater should also be preserved," he said to cheers from the crowd that had gathered around.
"The Broadwater belongs to the people of the area."
Mr Katter and Cr Tate were not the only ones competing for the media's attention at the surf club yesterday either.
Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk also turned up 30 minutes before Cr Tate started speaking in an attempt to garner maximum media coverage.
Ms Palaszczuk highlighted the 12-month anniversary of the election of the Newman Government and said it was time they took responsibility for Queensland's problems.
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