Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I say to the ministers at the table: please do support this. It is not a sign of weakness to agree to an amendment moved by a private member. We have a problem in this place that governments, not just this government but any government, seem to think it is sign of weakness to accept an idea from someone else or to say, 'We are going to change things,' or to even say, 'We have got something wrong.' In fact, it is a sign of strength, a sign of competency, a sign of leadership when a government is to prepared to say 'Hey that is a good idea; we will embrace that.' I lament the fact that in our political system, in our political culture it is something that is seen to be avoided at all costs. Only kicking and screaming would the government agree to something moved by the crossbench or—heaven forbid—even the opposition.

There is a challenge here. Why do we not break the mold? Why do we not do things differently today? Why does the minister not say, 'Hey, that is a really good idea and we are going to support it today.' If for any reason the minister thinks he needs more time to perhaps discuss it with the member for Indi, to explore it more, how about you at least jump up and say, 'It that sounds like a really good idea. I, as minister, make a commitment to the member for Indi that we will look at it this very day, later this week, tomorrow or perhaps next sitting week. We will be prepared to move an amendment if we can find some way of inserting this very sensible amendment.' And it is very sensible.

Although I represent a capital city seat, Tasmania is made up of regional, rural and remote areas. In fact the bureaucrats in Canberra think of Hobart as a regional city. So this is as relevant to me and to my constituency as it is to the other crossbenchers. There is a challenge to the minister to break the mould, to show a bit of open-mindedness and to say, 'Okay that is a good idea.'

A warning has been sounded by the member for Indi. In Newspoll this week, 29 per cent of those polled showed a preference for One Nation or the Greens or others. Twenty-nine per cent is almost a third of the country. They are unprecedented figures, I think. It is not by accident. It is because an unprecedented number of people in the community are sick and tired of businesses as usual, of politics as usual. They want to see something different, and probably no more so than in regional, rural and remote Australia where people are feeling more and more ignored. They are feeling—and I think the feeling is warranted—that we in this place are increasingly removed from them, from their world and from their challenges, that we populate this wonderful building and that we move in wonderful circles.

Maybe it is because we now have generation of professional politicians. We all know the profile—the bright young thing goes to university; gets mixed up in student politics; might be a union organiser or a lawyer for a couple of years; becomes a staff member; spends all their time playing party games to get preselected, hopefully, for a safe seat; and has a wonderful job for life. And even when they lose their seat, like the former member for Bass, Andrew Nikolic and others, six months later they are in some cushy bureaucratic job because of the generosity of the government of the day.

It is no accident. There is nothing mysterious why 29 per cent of Australians are showing a preference for candidates and parties other than the Liberal-National coalition or for the Labor Party. It is because they do want to see change. I reckon here is a wonderful opportunity to say to the Australian community: 'Okay, the government are listening and are prepared to be more collegiate in this place. We are prepared to accept good ideas from other people.' And, Minister Porter, if you cannot agree to the amendment today, how about you at least jump up and make a commitment to the member for Indi that you will talk with her later today and that you will seriously contemplate moving an amendment later today or tomorrow or next sitting week to see this sensible idea implemented in this bill.

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