Maverick MP Robbie Katter is threatening to block the Queensland government's budget if it does not agree to support culling crocodiles.
Katter's Australian Party this week revealed it was drafting legislation, expected to be introduced before the end of May, to introduce culling, safari hunting, crocodile removal and egg collection initiatives.
Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth said he believed crocodile numbers had at least quadrupled over the past 30 years and culling was needed to bring back the balance.
It is proposed that rich tourists could travel to north Queensland to shoot crocodiles in tours which could be run by Indigenous people. But they would not be held in dense urban areas.
Mr Katter said he would use "any device necessary" to get an outcome on the crocodile crisis.
"If the government would be unwilling to help save people's lives and continue to put people's safety at risk by ignoring this problem then we would be obligated to do everything that we can to influence that decision," Mr Katter said.
"So it would be more a question for the government, whether they would be willing to risk their budget and not help save people's lives.
"We wouldn't be worth our wages representing these areas if we're just going to go along and rubber-stamp everything the government does, including a budget, when people turn their backs on people.
"People are being eaten alive up here.
"If we're expected to just ignore that and rubber-stamp budgets for the government - then no way."
The hardball move on the croc dilemma is a drama for the government because it relies on the two Katter MPs - in addition to other crossbench members - for support in the hung Parliament.
The Queensland budget is due in June.
Crocodiles have been protected since the 1970s and the Palaszczuk government does not support culling.
Environment Minister Steven Miles' office was contacted for comment.
Mr Katter said relocating crocodiles was not working because they could move "hundreds of kilometres" and another croc would just move into the territory.
It comes after a pet dog was taken by a croc at Belvedere, north of Innisfail, a spear fisherman was killed on the Russell River and a teenager was attacked after jumping into croc-infested waters.
Since 1985, there have been nine fatal crocodile attacks in the wild in Queensland.
Federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter, Mr Knuth and Mr Katter are meeting residents in Mareeba, Innisfail and Port Douglas this week on a consultation tour about legislation regarding crocodile culling, safari shooting and egg harvesting.
This story first appeared on Brisbane Times.