Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to add words of support for my colleagues and briefly add a couple of other salient comments. When we had the election in 2016, a quarter of the population of Australia voted for nonparty members of parliament. In this parliament there are five of us on the crossbench who represent that quarter of voters of Australia who do not want and did not vote for parties. What we are hearing today, exactly as my colleagues have said so well, is a strong voice from the crossbench. We are saying to the parties: 'You have got it wrong.' We are saying that a quarter of the population in Australia want something done about this particular issue and it is significant. So I am adding my voice of support from the people of Indi, a traditionally conservative electorate in the country. We have seen what has happened and we do not like it. We would like the government and the opposition to do exactly what the member for Denison has just said: come together and absolutely show the people of Australia that you get the serious nature of the problem of how we behave.

There is something about bringing on the crossbenchers that makes us a little bit sensitive about this topic. Particularly for the Independents, but I also know this from my smaller party colleagues, the scrutiny that is applied to us is enormous. The scrutiny by the major parties that is applied to every single act I do is so particular. So, as other members have said, we pay particular attention to make sure we follow the rules. We pay particular attention, but not because we want to follow the rules; we do this because we know it is right and proper. We do this because we respect that taxpayers' money—paid and earned so hard by our electorate—needs to be accounted for. So I say to the very good members of parliament, the members of the government and the opposition, 'This is at your peril. If you do not listen to us, it will be upon your shoulders.' There is nothing in this particular bit of legislation for us other than representing our communities.

I bring my comments to a close and say that this debate is going to go on for a bit of time today. We have put an enormous amount of work into working with our communities. We have spoken to them, we have consulted with them and we have asked: 'What would you like us to do as Independents?' What you are getting here today is heartfelt representation. We are saying to the major parties, 'Listen to us. Listen to the quarter of Australians who don't want what's happening.' You have all heard the big debate in Western Australia about preferences and what is happening there. The community is getting behind it and saying, 'There's a pox on your parties. We don't like it.' Here is your chance today to actually do something that would be really popular with the community—really popular—to show the communities of Australia that the major parties get what they are trying to say. Hear the strong message from the crossbench. In adding my comments, I acknowledge the representation of my colleagues and I thank them for the amendments they have brought through. I am absolutely committed to supporting you on those amendments.

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