Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The JSCEM inquiry into the 2013 election was very thorough, as these inquiries are. It brought down a number of reports, and one of those reports was into this issue of Senate voting reform. Labor, Liberal, National, Greens and Senator Nick Xenophon worked very thoroughly on this and brought down a united position—one recommending Senate voting reform. There was a submission from Labor to that inquiry. It is very interesting that yesterday Labor senators were downplaying Labor's role there, saying it never went through the Labor caucus. It would be useful to read that in detail in Hansard, because here you have Labor senators downplaying the role of their own party when it was having input on such an important issue, and even giving leadership because at that point there was no voice of opposition. They now say it never went through caucus, but that was never reported. They came in, the report was presented in the House of Representatives and here, we debated it thoroughly and there were no Labor voices of opposition. Until very recently we thought that we were working together for Senate voting reform. But what has happened in recent months? Senator Dastyari and Senator Conroy have led a very strong campaign to undermine the report, briefing journalists and getting in the ear of other senators. Obviously you can do that in politics, but it certainly has not given the leadership that is needed in resolving this issue.

Let us remember what Labor are doing here. Labor are defending their patch. They are defending a patch from last century, when their politics was about backroom deals. It was about working out deals, and Senator Conroy gave it away when he said 'it did not go through caucus—that was the party's position.' Surely they should be working with their own members through their own party and respecting that process, but here they were, negating—it is all about what the politicians think. When he says that he is talking about Senator Conroy and Senator Dastyari giving direction—no leadership from the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, on this important issue. They are protecting Senate voting tickets because it is through those Senate voting tickets that over the years Labor have gained so much of their power. They are two backroom dealers themselves—that is where they came from and that is what we have seen play out again.

We should remember that there are a number of Labor people who continue to speak for this, including former Labor MP and former leader of the ACTU Jennie George. Former Senator John Faulkner in this place made many speeches on the need for Senate voting reform, but here we have just a couple, Senator Dastyari and Senator Conroy, misleading Labor. The reforms urgently needed are now in this bill. It is now time to get on with a thorough debate and pass the bill. I hope Labor do not just avoid debating the issue but come in on it in a very thorough way. We have worked together in the past and I urge Labor at this late stage to come on board—do not continue with the backroom deals, start being democratic and start working with the community for Senate voting reform that is long overdue.