The new-look Senate – a surprisingly friendly welcome to the crossbench
|
Version 0 of 1. The newly sworn-in crossbench senators have just become the most popular kids in town, judging by the rush to congratulate them when the first sitting began on Monday. Experienced senators beat a path to the benches halfway between the government and the opposition areas, exchanging pleasantries with the diverse group that now holds the power to make or break the Coalition’s legislative agenda. The Australian Motoring Enthusiast senator, Ricky Muir, took his place in the back seat, behind the three Palmer United party (PUP) senators with whom he shares a loose voting alliance. The Liberal senator Bill Heffernan whispered a few words into Muir’s left ear, but did not get much time alone with the Victorian newbie: Labor’s Doug Cameron soon emerged on Muir’s right-hand side to say hello. Form an orderly queue, please. The PUP supremo and lower house MP Clive Palmer watched on from the observers’ area at the back of the chamber, fiddling occasionally with red and blue document wallets ahead of his third National Press Club speech in eight months. He beamed, and tapped his left foot excitedly, as West Australian Dio Wang – former employee of a Palmer-linked resources company – was sworn into his new role as a key member of the parliamentary house of review. One of the most forthright members of the new crossbench, the Tasmanian PUP senator Jacqui Lambie, shook hands with the leader of the government in the Senate, Eric Abetz, despite declaring in a weekend media interview that she did “not like the man” (she told News Corp Abetz was part of a “little men’s group” of Coalition senators who lacked achievements). Lambie warmly greeted Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong, having described her as “very sweet” and able to “hold her own” like her other political hero Margaret Thatcher. (A bemused Wong told the ABC she was not usually put on the same list as Thatcher.) The Nationals senator John “Wacka” Williams gave Lambie a hug. Amid all the well-wishers there was surely an awareness of the critical numbers: any government bill opposed by Labor and the Greens will require support from six of the eight crossbenchers to pass. The PUP Senate leader and former rugby league star Glenn Lazarus is about to get a quick lesson in political football. The other new crossbenchers are the New South Wales Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm, who has vowed never to vote for a tax increase, and the South Australian Family First senator Bob Day, who wants young jobseekers to be able to opt out of industrial relations protections such as the minimum wage in order to secure work. The existing Democratic Labour party senator John Madigan and the prominent independent Nick Xenophon round out the crossbench. Before the government’s long-stated aim to abolish the carbon tax could be considered, the Senate had to elect a new presiding officer. Abetz nominated his Tasmanian colleague Stephen Parry to become president. The Greens leader, Christine Milne – who welcomed a new senator to her team, the Victorian Janet Rice – suggested that Scott Ludlam could be president instead. “I do think that it is time that the way that is an automatic exchange between the government of the day and one opposition party has to change,” Milne said. There was a short break ahead of the voting, prompting yet more senators to wander over to the crossbench to introduce themselves. Forget about the bills: so many names to remember. Abetz and the special minister of state, Michael Ronaldson, chatted to each other as they watched the meet-and-greet spectacle from the government side of the chamber, perhaps contemplating the delicate negotiating task ahead of them. The government had its first win: Parry easily secured the job of the new president, with 63 votes, while Ludlam mustered support from only 10 senators. Two senators either messed up their votes or were unhappy with either choice, submitting informal ballots, and one person was absent. Parry said he was honoured to be selected as the presiding officer and vowed to conduct himself in an impartial manner. The president said he intended to defend the parliament as being truly independent of the executive government – a stand that drew immediate praise from crossbench members. “I regard myself as your servant,” Parry told senators. Abetz noted Parry had previously served as an undertaker – underlining the risks if senators misbehaved. Wong emphasised the importance of the Senate to Australia’s democracy, including scrutinising bills and holding the executive government to account – a none-too-subtle nudge to the crossbench not to give the Coalition a blank cheque. Milne said this would be a challenging new period for the upper house “but it is going to be one of the most democratic”. Finally, Lazarus rose to offer PUP’s congratulations to Parry. “We look forward to working with you,” he said. |