Peter Georgiou (WA, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I advise the Senate that from now on I am the Whip of Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party in the Senate.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—What we've just heard from Senator Georgiou is further evidence of the absolute catastrophe, the absolute chaos, that One Nation has become in this chamber and, really, all around the country. I'm sure that before long we're going to be hearing from Senator Burston again, and who knows what he's going to say? Who knows whether he's signed up to yet another party? Only yesterday morning he was an Independent and, miraculously, two or three minutes later he was a member of Clive Palmer's new party. Maybe there's been a third change in the last 24 hours.

But really today the focus in the statements we are receiving from Senator Georgiou and, I anticipate, Senator Burston needs to be on the absolute circus that the One Nation party, headed by Senator Pauline Hanson, has become. Just remember that of the 30 members of parliament or senators who have ever been elected in Australia under the One Nation banner there are now 21. Seventy per cent of those people have now either resigned from the party, been kicked out of the party or been kicked out of parliament. Here's another one: Senator Anning. We've got three of them in the room now. All we need is Senator Culleton to come back through and former Senator Roberts to come back through and we can have the full menagerie of One Nation!

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remember Len Harris.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, there's Len Harris. In fact, I think he's one of the only ones who didn't get thrown out, resign or get kicked out, expelled. Let's forget for a moment the fact that, over One Nation's entire history, 21 of the 30 One Nation MPs or senators have been thrown out for one reason or another and look at things more recently. Let's just think about what's happened since the double dissolution in 2016. I remember very well, because I was there for the induction of new senators, the parade surrounding Senator Hanson and her three new senators: Senator Burston, who's still with us; Senator Culleton, gone; and Senator Roberts, gone. If you look at that photograph of the One Nation senators who appeared down here, the only one still standing as a One Nation senator is Senator Hanson herself. Through her own actions, through letting down her own party members, she has managed to lose three of the four senators she arrived with. Not only that but she's actually managed to lose a fourth in Senator Anning. So this is a person who arrived in Canberra with three senators and has already managed to lose more than that—a total of four.

Obviously I have been very vocal over the last two years about the number of times Senator Hanson and One Nation have sold out their constituency of battlers right around Australia but particularly in my own home state of Queensland. They have sold out battlers on penalty rates by voting with the government to support cuts to penalty rates. They have sold out battlers on everything from childcare payments for low-income families to pensions. At one point they were going to be cutting bereavement allowances for grieving widows, until I and other Labor senators called them out on their behaviour. They have also continued to support this government in its cuts to public health, to hospitals, to schools, to training, to apprenticeships—every kind of government service that is provided to support the battlers Senator Hanson and her colleagues say they stand up for but come down here and vote against. I have lost count of the number of times Senator Hanson and her One Nation colleagues have sold out the battlers they say they care about.

It's no surprise that they keep doing this. Look at their voting record: all up, over the last couple of years, they have voted with this government, the Turnbull government—a Liberal government that is into supporting the top end of town—90 per cent of the time. If you just look at this year, the calendar year of 2018, One Nation and their senators have voted with this government 100 per cent of the time. Every single time there has been a bill before this parliament, where there's had to be a division and where Labor has stood against some action of the government—cutting health care, cutting education funding, cutting pensions, cutting apprenticeships—every single time Labor has voted against that legislation and tried to stop One Nation and the government from hurting battlers, what have One Nation done? They've toddled over and sat down with their friends in the Liberal Party. We know that's where they really line up. They don't actually care about battlers. They spend all their time out in regional Queensland saying that they care about battlers and that they're going to 'take it up to them in Canberra', but what do they do? They come down here, they get their riding instructions from Malcolm Turnbull and his Liberal Party and they continually sell out battlers.

I've noticed that Senator Hanson has had a lot to say about Senator Burston, her former colleague—one of her most loyal supporters over 20 years. She has actually managed to alienate someone who has been one of her closest confidantes for 20 years. I noticed that when Senator Burston raised some objections about the way the party was being run, Senator Hanson turned on him rapidly and said that she felt incredibly let down by Senator Burston. The only person—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Georgiou.

Peter Georgiou (WA, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order: what are the standing orders for speeches of this type of nature?

Senator Watt interjecting—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please be quiet. Senator Georgiou, any member at any time can seek leave. It is up to members in the chamber to agree to that leave by saying nothing or opposing that request to seek leave. Senator Watt sought leave and there were no voices opposing that, so he has leave to speak. Thank you, Senator Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy President. I'm not surprised that One Nation's last remaining senator, other than Senator Hanson herself, wants to shut this down. They are so embarrassed by their performance and the way that they have continually sold out battlers that they want to do everything they can to stop debate—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Georgiou.

Peter Georgiou (WA, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order: how long will this go for? The clock is not counting down.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's right. Because there was silence when Senator Watt requested leave—

Senator Watt interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt, order. No-one requested a time on it and that's why the clock is not running. Thank you, Senator Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I won't be too much longer. I'm not surprised that Senator Georgiou wants to shut this down. You know, the simple way for him to avoid being embarrassed by One Nation's behaviour in the future is to follow what every other senator from One Nation has done and walk out on Pauline Hanson. That way you won't be embarrassed by coming down here and selling out—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, when you're referring to senators and others please use their correct title.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Okay. As I said, when Senator Burston was the latest person to walk out the revolving door that is the One Nation Party, I noticed that Senator Hanson rounded on him straightaway and said that she felt incredibly let down. She talked about why is she always let down by these people around her? I think that's a very good question. Why is it that after 20 years, 21 out of 30 One Nation MPs or senators have walked out on Senator Hanson?

There's a very serious point here: for all that Senator Hanson complains about being let down by the people around her, the simple truth is that the people who are really being let down by Senator Hanson and One Nation are the very battlers that they say they care about. They say they care about battlers, yet they come down here and vote with Mr Turnbull, the Prime Minister, and his Liberals 100 per cent of the time.

As I've said already in this chamber this week, the debate that we're going to have about tax cuts is going to be the ultimate test of One Nation and where they stand. If they actually care about battlers, they will vote with Labor and the tax plan that we're putting forward, which would deliver a better tax cut for about 75 per cent of people in regional Queensland. If they don't care about battlers and if they yet again vote with the Liberal Party like they have every other time this year—100 per cent of the time this year—then we will know once and for all that Senator Hanson and One Nation are not about battlers; they are for billionaires.

It's about time they actually started following through on what they told battlers in regional Queensland and vote against this bill that is going to deliver massive tax cuts to high-income earners, especially in the Prime Minister's own electorate. Vote against that bill and vote with Labor to split the bill and to back the amendments that will back battlers.