Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

One Nation has withdrawn our support for this motion. Yesterday, when it was presented to me, it was a lot stronger than this. It's actually to stop Senator Cormann from attending the chamber for the entire Autumn sittings. I totally refused to agree to that. That came back. With the way it was set out, he couldn't represent the Prime Minister in answering or asking questions. I did sign that, although it did disturb me.

This morning, after having further advice and consultation with Rebekha Sharkie, who came to my office wanting to speak to me with regards to this, and also having a phone call made to me early this morning by Stirling Griff, who is also very concerned about the motion—about the fact that it sets a precedent in this chamber—upon reflection, I don't believe we should continue with this. For that reason, I have withdrawn my support. I did inform the Labor Party about this. I have sent a message to Senator Rex Patrick about it, and I have also spoken to Senator Jacqui Lambie, and explained to them why I have withdrawn my support.

In this chamber, I hear both sides of the arguments that go on. Whoever is in government, you will do whatever you can for your own survival, regardless of what the public think. You will keep documents. You don't present documents. And the Labor Party have done it when they have been in government. What I'm concerned about is setting a precedent here in this chamber where a senator can be thrown out of the chamber by the majority. What's going to happen is this: it's not going to be the Labor Party or anyone else that's going to be accused of stopping democracy happening in this parliament. It will be One Nation or the minor parties, the crossbenchers, that will have to wear it. We will be blamed for overstepping our power in here for the wrong reasons. That is why I'm not going to wear this. The fact is that if you want your documents then you apply for them in the right way, and it's up to the government. I'm not going to defend them about this at all. I'm not going to be a signatory to the fact of having us make this decision. Senator Cormann is an elected member of this chamber. He has a right to his place in this chamber. It is not up to us to take away that right that was given to him by the Australian people when they voted for him. Therefore I stand by the fact that we are not supporting this motion.