Senate debates

Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Bills

Regional Investment Corporation Bill 2017; In Committee

6:37 pm

Photo of Jacinta CollinsJacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to remind the chamber that, in her final speech to the Senate, former Senator Jacqui Lambie made the following statement:

I don't know what will happen next, personally or politically, for me. The government may be tempted to use my absence as an opportunity. To do so would be a mistake, because, while I may not be here, the Jacqui Lambie Network should still be represented, just as those who voted for the Jacqui Lambie Network deserve to have their votes represented. That's why I want to let the position of the Jacqui Lambie Network regarding upcoming legislation be known.

She went on to say:

… the Jacqui Lambie Network's position on the Regional Investment Corporation should be taken as that of the Leader of the Opposition.

Accordingly, the opposition expects the government to honour the expressed wishes of former Senator Lambie on the remaining questions on this bill in the same way that two opposition senators will not vote to compensate for the vacancies for the places formerly occupied in this place by Fiona Nash and Stephen Parry.

If the government does not respect the pairing conventions in this place, then I foreshadow that, in the event the pair is not honoured on this question that the bill as amended be agreed to, I will move an amendment to the motion that the report of the committee be adopted. I will seek to add the following words, which have now been circulated:

"And the Senate notes the express wishes of former Senator Jacqui Lambie that the Jacqui Lambie Network's position on the Regional Investment Corporation should be taken as that of the Leader of the Opposition, and is of the view that this be reflected in the usual pairing arrangements on any further questions on this bill."

I foreshadow that I will move that motion, because it seems that the government is suggesting that convention provides otherwise. For the crossbench, I want you to understand that the government, in suggesting that they have that as clear and solid advice, is simply not accurate. There is only one precedent on this issue, and that is Bob Day. Bob Day gave no indication at all as to his voting intentions, as opposed to Senator Jacqui Lambie, who clearly did. I recall her final speech, as indeed I think almost every senator in this place will. It's an issue of principle. It's an issue of convention. And the government's suggestion that convention has been established by just that one incident in relation to Bob Day is simply wrong.

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