He also warned the reintroduction of the Australian Building and Construction Commission would affect his relationship with the government. Crossbench MP Bob Katter has taken aim at the federal government’s decision not to nominate Kevin Rudd for the contest to become the United Nations secretary general, labelling it mean-spirited and partisan. In an interview with ABC Radio National, Katter praised Rudd’s competence and said Malcolm Turnbull had bowed to internal pressure when he rejected the bid. Katter raised concerns about the national debt, which he said had increased by 50% in the three years since Tony Abbott was elected in 2013. On Monday, Katter said it was: “Clearly a decision made out of political partisanship”.

Source: The Guardian July 31, 2016 23:26 UTC