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| Coalition appoints Liberal MP who lost his seat as Senate president adviser Coalition appoints Liberal MP who lost his seat as Senate president adviser | |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| The Turnbull government has appointed a Tasmanian Liberal MP who lost his seat in the Coalition wipeout in the state at the 2016 election as an additional adviser for the Senate president, Stephen Parry. | The Turnbull government has appointed a Tasmanian Liberal MP who lost his seat in the Coalition wipeout in the state at the 2016 election as an additional adviser for the Senate president, Stephen Parry. |
| Eric Hutchinson lost his seat of Lyons in the 2016 election but has now joined Parry’s staff in a “representational” role. | Eric Hutchinson lost his seat of Lyons in the 2016 election but has now joined Parry’s staff in a “representational” role. |
| Parry, appearing before a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday, confirmed Hutchinson had joined his office but denied the new appointment was political. | Parry, appearing before a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday, confirmed Hutchinson had joined his office but denied the new appointment was political. |
| He characterised Hutchinson’s appointment as putting a round plug in a round hole. | He characterised Hutchinson’s appointment as putting a round plug in a round hole. |
| “I think an ex-member of parliament is an ideal person to represent the president of the Senate at functions both here and certainly in Tasmania when I’m not available,” Parry said Monday. | “I think an ex-member of parliament is an ideal person to represent the president of the Senate at functions both here and certainly in Tasmania when I’m not available,” Parry said Monday. |
| “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.” | “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.” |
| Labor characterised the appointment differently. | Labor characterised the appointment differently. |
| Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong, told the hearing appointing a past Liberal MP to do representational work in his electorate “sound[ed] pretty political.” | Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong, told the hearing appointing a past Liberal MP to do representational work in his electorate “sound[ed] pretty political.” |
| “You appointed a mate who lost his seat to do work in your electorate,” Wong said to Parry. | “You appointed a mate who lost his seat to do work in your electorate,” Wong said to Parry. |
| The Senate president insisted the appointment was recognition of his additional workload as Senate president. “I have many friends, both Labor and Liberal,” Parry told the hearing. | The Senate president insisted the appointment was recognition of his additional workload as Senate president. “I have many friends, both Labor and Liberal,” Parry told the hearing. |
| Parry said he may have asked the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, for another staffing position before the recent election but Hutchinson had joined his staff a couple of weeks ago. | Parry said he may have asked the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, for another staffing position before the recent election but Hutchinson had joined his staff a couple of weeks ago. |
| The government has not boosted the staffing allocation of the House of Representatives Speaker, Tony Smith, and the position was not advertised. | The government has not boosted the staffing allocation of the House of Representatives Speaker, Tony Smith, and the position was not advertised. |
| The Coalition lost three lower house seats in Tasmania at the recent federal election, and also went backwards in Senate representation. | The Coalition lost three lower house seats in Tasmania at the recent federal election, and also went backwards in Senate representation. |