Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

That happens to be very likely just after the Queensland state election. I might not be that smart, but I picked this up! The entire Queensland government will be under the microscope of the Australian Senate right through the election campaign—right to the end of this year and right through to March of next year. That is the aim. This is not about Queensland government administration. This is about getting the LNP electorally and, in particular, the Premier, Mr Newman. It is so, so cynical.

It even goes to the membership of the committee. I cannot believe it. It says:

(3)   That the committee consist of 5 senators, 1 to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate …

So 20 per cent is to be nominated by Senator Abetz as the Leader of the Government in the Senate, and he represents the government of this country. Is that appropriate? Again—and I am looking at the Australian Labor Party—think of the precedent that is being set.

I am disappointed, Senator Lazarus, that, under subsection (6), we read:

(6)   That the committee …

(a)   appoint as chair the Leader of the Palmer United Party in the Senate and,

(b)   elect as deputy chair, a member elected by the committee.

So the deputy chair, on those numbers, will not be from the coalition—no way. They will be from the Australian Labor Party or, worse, from the Greens. It is an absolute fiasco. Again, it breeds what? Cynicism. And again I urge you—I urge all the Palmer United Party and, in particular, the Australian Labor Party—to think of the precedent this sets.

A government senator: Be careful what you wish for!

Exactly. You may get the numbers, you may get this up, just remember that some senators will be around a long time and this is not the precedent you want to set. If we are really concerned about the expenditure of Commonwealth moneys by Queensland governments, if we are really concerned about Queensland government administration, and let us just assume we are for a moment, why don't we look at the conduct of the Queensland government since 21 March 2009? That is when Ms Anna Bligh was elected in her own right. Then you might sort of argue that we are looking more broadly at Queensland government administration. But, in fact, it is not about that at all; it is a deliberate attack on the Premier of Queensland and the Liberal National Party government.

The disgrace of this is not the Palmer United Party doing this because I expected it—in fact, my colleagues all expected it. I made a grievous error and I will admit it. I will let you in on a secret: I thought the Australian Labor Party would be far too responsible to enter into this sort of arrangement. That is what really disappoints me. They are so much better than that—the alternative government, the oldest political party in this country, a party with a proud tradition and proud leaders have embarked on this road. I know none of them are proud of it. Look at them—they are hardly going to be jumping out of their pants when this is passed. This is a disgrace.

In the future, over the next few years after this precedent just scrapes through the parliament, I think we will be able to find all sorts of precedents from state, territory and Commonwealth parliaments. If this becomes part of the manner of governing in Australia, if this becomes normal government practice in Australia, the nation will suffer. Forget about Mr Newman for a moment, as much as he is a great Premier—the precedent this will set will mean that every Premier, every state government, every territory government and every federal government will be in line for examination by another parliament. They could all be in the fray, every last one of them.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Wong, I am surprised. For all our arguments over the years, and I admit we have had a few, you have never, ever taken a stand of principle like this. What Senator Brandis said earlier on, that he has never come across this in his time in the Senate, is true. I have been here 15 years and I have never, ever seen anything like this. It is not so much this instance; it is the precedent that it sets. In the future, the democracy of our country and every government and every parliament will be traduced by this. The powers and the privileges of parliaments will be compromised by the powers and the privilege of other parliaments. That was never part of the constitutional compact of this country. The Federation of this country was never founded on this sort of constitutional trashing.

Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—

Senator Wong interjecting—