Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

and looking after their donors, they want to get rid of us. This voting reform rubbish is not about getting rid of the crossbench because we are blocking legislation. It is about getting rid of the crossbench because we are exposing the big parties for what they really are—ugly, donor orientated political machines that have no interest in doing the right thing by the people. They are only interested in doing the right thing by their political donors. If the people of Australia have not worked this out, I hope they see my speech here tonight. I hope everyone hears it, because the Senate voting reforms are not just about democracy. They are about making sure the crossbench is removed so that we cannot continue to expose the sickening corruption and money changing that is really going on.

If the government were really interested in voting reform they would be doing positive, productive things like making voting easier, by getting voting online and making it available nationally on an electronic basis so that the process of actually voting is easier and more convenient for people. They would be removing non-voting fines for older Australians or the ill or busy young families or those who have to work because they need the money and cannot afford to take time off. They would be installing electronic voting into Australia Post outlets and agencies so that people can go to their local shops to vote. This would support struggling Australia Post business owners across the country and push people to their local shopping centres. They would be creating set terms and set voting dates to give the community and the business sector confidence and stability. This would also stop the system being gamed by greedy and unethical political parties. If the coalition were really serious about voting reform they would be doing things to ensure voting is improved, because our voting system is so antiquated that the entire country has to stop for a day to vote. People cannot go to work, businesses suffer, workers lose their salary, parents have to juggle getting kids to sport as well as getting to polling booths. The entire country is pretty much brought to its knees.

If the coalition were really serious about voting reform they would be doing things to improve the voting system as a whole, but they are not. All of the above are good ideas that the Glenn Lazarus Team has come up with. Instead of improving voting, the coalition, with the support of the dirty Greens, just want to get rid of the crossbench because we are becoming a problem for the government. We are asking too many questions. We are digging too hard.

The crossbench and I are annoying the government and their donors. I am asking the government why they are allowing people to suffer while CSG mining companies prosper. I am asking the government why they are giving Australian taxpayer funds to the Spanish to build Australian navy ships when the ships should be built here to support our country and to provide Australian jobs for Australian workers. But, as we suspect, the Spanish have probably donated a hell of a lot of money to the coalition and, as a result, the coalition has awarded the contract to the Spanish. And the Australian shipping industry will suffer.