Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I'm incredibly disappointed, in particular, that Senator Bartlett would make this contribution just now. Since the middle of July, when sadly—and I say sadly with all sincerity—former Senator Ludlam and former Senator Waters had to resign in the circumstances that we all know about, immediately and without hesitation the government said, 'Of course, we will pair their positions until such time, as through the official process, their positions are filled again on the basis that we respect that the Greens Party in the Senate will be able to determine the position of the Greens.' We've done that even though, on a number of contested issues and votes, that meant that we were in a weaker position and we were not able to get the government's agenda through. We did that absolutely in good faith, in the same way as we're doing it absolutely in good faith in relation to Senator Kakoschke-Moore on exactly the same basis.

Senator Lambie resigned. Senator Lambie didn't write to the government to formally ask for any pairing arrangements in the way this normally happens, consistent with convention. She walked into the chamber and put—