Australia's famous Kat in the Hat may soon be no more.
Federal MP Bob Katter is considering hanging up his signature Akubra because he's hopping mad about the hat maker's decision to ditch its Australian rabbit skin suppliers to cut costs.
Mr Katter is possibly the country's most prominent Akubra fan, wearing the wide-brimmed head wear everywhere he goes.
So he's hoping it doesn't get to the point where he has to take his hat off.
"I believe in Akubra ... I remain entirely hopeful they will put Australian content back into their formulation," he told AAP.
Akubra plans to source all its rabbit skins from Europe, primarily France and Belgium, because it has become too costly and difficult to produce and cut them in Australia.
Chief financial officer Roy Wilkinson said the company had been using mostly imported skins for years anyway, as domestic supplies had dwindled after the introduction of rabbit calicivirus disease.
He said Akubra had no choice to go abroad as demand was increasing.
"We simply can't get supply (in Australia)," he said.
But Mr Katter didn't buy that argument.
"If they can't find a source of rabbits in Australia I will help them out because we have about 30 living in our street in Charters Towers," he said.
Mr Katter owns six Akubras but says he will resort to wearing another brand of wide brim hat if the Australian rabbit skins are ditched.
He said Australians bought Akubras for "style and image" and didn't care about paying an extra few dollars to support local suppliers.
And the maverick MP obviously thinks the Akubra is pretty stylish, given he last year gave one to big hat-loving hiphopper Pharrell Williams.
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/07/09/15/16/bob-katter-a-mad-hatter-over-akubra-plan#FKr8zxVhf...
