Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that the President has received the following letter, dated 22 November 2022, from Senator Hanson:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today Pauline Hanson's One Nation proposes to move: "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

"The need for the Senate to condemn the Premier of Victoria, Dan Andrews, for h is office's dealings and association with Glenn Druery who, it was reported this morning, admitted to using his position in a Senator's office for personal financial gain; and in light of revelations upper house group voting tickets are being used to misle ad voters to the unethical benefit of the Andrews Labor Government to affirm the Senate's support for free and fair elections with integrity."

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today's debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I will ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.

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

I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for the Senate to condemn the Premier of Victoria, Dan Andrews, for his office's dealings and association with Glenn Druery who, it was reported this morning, admitted to using his position in a Senator's office for personal financial gain; and—in light of revelations upper house group voting tickets are being used to mislead voters to the unethical benefit of the Andrews Labor Government—to affirm the Senate's support for free and fair elections with integrity.

I rise to ask the Senate to affirm its support for free and fair elections which accurately reflects the intention of Australian voters. Prior to the 2016 federal election the Senate amended federal electoral laws to ensure voters retained control of their preferences. The result in 2016 was a Senate with a strong crossbench that the Australian people wanted. This followed previous Senate election outcomes which defied public expectations. Those outcomes had Glenn Druery's name all over them. We all know who this man is and how he has made his name over the years as a so-called 'preference whisperer'. In the past week, reports on the Herald Sun newspaper have served to remind us of his talent and of the need to always be vigilant in the defence of free and fair elections.

It hasn't been the best week for Glenn Druery, I can tell you. He has been recorded admitting that he has worked with the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, to deliver a crossbench Labor can work with. He is on the record as saying that he manipulates upper house group-voting tickets to mislead Victorian voters and direct their preferences to left-leaning minor party candidates, all in an effort to keep Premier Andrews in power. He even admits to creating a fake party, the 'Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews Party' in his efforts to mislead voters.

The Victorian Premier initially denied any involvement, but it's been confirmed that Mr Druery has been working closely with his office in the lead-up to this year's state election. It's telling that the Premier has resisted many calls to reform Victorian electoral laws and to get rid of the upper house group-voting tickets. Now we know why. Premier Andrews has well and truly been a law unto himself. He has led the most unaccountable government in the history of Victoria, with a long list of scandals, IBAC referrals and political scalps under his watch: branch stacking, the botched hotel quarantine program, fire services reform, printing rorts, misuse of parliamentary allowances in the red shirts affair, country member allowances claimed by city-based MPs, taxpayers billed for chauffeuring dogs and MPs bullying their staff, not to forget the collision with a cyclist.

Today there are more revelations, with a recording of Mr Druery saying he used his position on the staff of former senator Derryn Hinch for personal financial gain, acting on privileged foreknowledge of the financial services royal commission to sell his bank shares. This is in direct contravention of the law. That he may well have broken the law for personal gain is an important matter that should be investigated; of greater importance is that Australian voters have confidence in their votes, support candidates they want to support and have confidence in the accuracy and integrity of democratic elections. To Victorian voters I say this: vote below the line in the upper house to make sure your preferences are directed to where you want them. The only safe vote above the line is One Nation. We are not part of Mr Druery's cohort of fake parties, and you can be confident your preferences will remain with conservative candidates and like-minded parties.

One Nation Victoria has also pledged to undertake electoral reform so that in the future Victorians can have confidence in the outcome. Failure to ensure election integrity is a betrayal of the Australian people's trust, and since this is a function of law, it is up to us lawmakers to meet this expectation. One Nation has been very active in this space, introducing legislation to this effect last year, and I commend my colleague Senator Roberts for his diligent efforts to protect and enhance election integrity. So I ask the Senate to stand in condemnation of Premier Daniel Andrews for being associated with this manipulation of the system to mislead voters. I ask the Senate to stand in defence of free and fair elections which reflect the intent of the Australian people and which strengthen their faith in the principles and institutions of Australian democracy.

Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Labor Party has a long and proud history of strengthening our electoral system, and in that tradition the government's priorities continue to be improving transparency and accountability in our electoral law. Labor believes Australians deserve to know who is donating to candidates and political parties and who is influencing policy. That's why we have had legislation before the parliament for years to ensure the donation disclosure threshold is fixed at $1,000 instead of the current $15,200 and to introduce real-time disclosure of donations. These proposed reforms have been referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters as part of the standing inquiry following each election, and I know they maintain broad support.

More broadly, though, some senators in this chamber, especially those attacking the Victorian Premier, may want to reflect on some of their own practices around fundraising and donations before lecturing others. Indeed I could take the rest of my time on this urgency motion to point out the complete hypocrisy from Pauline Hanson's One Nation in bringing on this debate today. I could spend my time stepping out how this sort of baseless attack is one thing: Senator Hanson's desperation in trying to improve her party's dismal polling prospects at the Victorian election this Saturday by pulling a stunt in the Senate. This motion is just a symptom of Senator Hanson's relevance deprivation syndrome after Pauline Hanson's One Nation flopped at the last federal election. Now Senator Hanson is worried about flopping in the Victorian election this week.

But I will not waste my time addressing the long and ugly history of Pauline Hanson's One Nation. No, instead I would like to take a moment to point out to Senator Hanson and to the Senate just what the state Labor government in Victoria has achieved and in doing so show Senator Hanson what good government in my state looks like. It looks like delivering on generational infrastructure projects, like removing 67 level crossings to make commuting quicker, safer and cheaper; building 6,300 new social and affordable homes, with a view to delivering 16,000 in the next four years; and building the Metro Tunnel. It looks like delivering on world-leading climate change policy by cutting emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, re-establishing the state energy company to make energy cheaper and greener and making the largest tram network in the world powered by 100 per cent solar energy. It looks like providing reforms that make Victoria the place to be, whether you're a renter who now has access to better and protected rights, a casual worker who can now access a sick pay guarantee or a kid in any government school who can now see a mental health professional. It looks like leading the nation in recognising and advancing the rights of Australia's First Nations people through a Victorian truth-telling and treaty process. It looks like leading the nation by being the first state to legislate voluntary assisted dying laws, now a norm in this country, which means people can die with dignity. It means educating our young people for the benefit of all Victorians by making kindergarten free, making TAFE courses for in-demand occupations free and making it free to study nursing.

I could go on, but I will say lastly that the achievements I've outlined don't just look like good government; they are good government. While it's clear that some people want to scramble to repair their own reputations by attacking the Victorian government and its achievements, the reality is that the Australian Labor Party in Victoria has a proven record of getting things done. I have no doubt that, if re-elected, it will only build on the truly life-changing reforms that have made the lives of Victorians better.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens will not be supporting this urgency motion today. Whilst we agree with Senator Hanson that group voting tickets are an abomination—and I'll come to that shortly—there's more than a whiff of electoral denialism to this motion. We know that the far right here in this parliament and around the world are waging a war on democracy and on free and fair elections, and we are not interested in being a part of that. Thanks to our AEC and our state and territory electoral commissions, Australia's elections have some of the highest integrity and transparency in the world.

But none of that changes how appalling group voting tickets are. Group voting tickets enable preference whisperers, like Mr Druery, to allocate your preferences for you when you vote above the line. That means that, for the over 90 per cent of voters who do just that, when you put a party like the Health Australia Party or the Sustainable Australia Party as your No. 1, you could very well end up sending your preferences to pro-gun parties like the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party or anti-abortion parties like the Democratic Labour Party. Under these rules, the only way around this, to actually control your own preferences, is to vote below the line and number every box, risking an invalid vote if you make a mistake.

Here in the federal parliament, the Greens were proud to be part of abolishing group voting tickets in 2016. In every other state and territory, parliaments have made the wise decision to abolish group voting tickets. Everyone knows group voting tickets need to end. Experts like Antony Green hate them. Every state and territory government, including Labor governments, like Mr McGowan's in WA, also hates them. The Greens hate them. Even the Liberals hate them. It's only the Victorian Labor government that has refused to abolish group voting tickets. My Victorian Greens colleagues have been the only members of the last Victorian parliament who've pushed to get rid of group voting tickets and have challenged both the Labor and the Liberal parties to commit to reform this undemocratic system before the election on Saturday. The group voting system will continue to distort the will of voters until Labor and the Liberals commit to reform.

Victoria needs to get on with the job of abolishing group voting tickets, and the Greens will continue to campaign both here and in Victoria for improvements to our electoral system. But make no mistake: we won't team up with One Nation when it comes to questions of electoral integrity.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Victorian premier, Mr Daniel Andrews, doing dodgy deals with election fixer Mr Glenn Druery: that is a classic case of someone shaking hands with the devil—that's what that is. My problem is that I can't tell which one of these two is the devil. Is it (a) Dictator Dan, (b) election rigger Mr Glenn Druery, or, as I suspect, (c) all of the above?

Mr Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, has a record that would make the devil himself blush. He has racked up the worst debt of any state by far: $170 billion of predicted debt.

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Even more than Queensland!

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's more than Queensland, more than Tasmania and more than New South Wales combined. He has crippled our state's health system. People are dying at home waiting for an ambulance, which doesn't even show up. That's what's happening. He has overseen the harshest and the longest lockdowns on planet Earth. He was responsible for the highest COVID death rate in the country. He had a pregnant mother arrested in her home—but what for? For a Facebook post. He arrested and pepper sprayed senior citizens. He kept you from seeing your dying relatives and mourning the loss of your loved ones. He had the police shoot innocent people with rubber bullets. He shut the playgrounds. He kept your children out of school. You were arrested for daring to go to the beach by yourself. He divided families and tried to keep you apart for Christmas. He used the pandemic as an excuse to turn my home state, the once great state of Victoria, into a living hell. That's what he did.

As if that were not enough, he himself is mired in scandals and scams that seem to have no end. You know what? There's something new in the paper every single day about Premier Dan Andrews. Here's one: 'Absolute disgrace'—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is a point of order.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sure Senator Babet's aware that there are standing orders in relation to using props in the chamber.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are, actually, Senator Babet. Please continue.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. He is the subject of not one, not two, not three, not four, but five IBAC corruption inquiries.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many?

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Five! That's how many. Let me ask Labor members this: how many times should IBAC investigate your dodgy Victorian colleague before you find the moral courage to condemn him? How many times? Are you waiting for a sixth corruption inquiry before you find your voice? Well, you might not have to wait for long, as the Liberal Party has just referred Premier Dan Andrews to IBAC once again.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. 6!

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Exactly. How hellish does Victoria need to become before those of us here in Canberra will finally say enough is enough?

The scandal is not only about Dictator—sorry: Premier Daniel Andrews's deals with dodgy Glenn Druery. The real scandal is that federal Labor protect the corrupt and tyrannical Premier Dan Andrews as one of their own. That's the real scandal. Mr Glenn Druery, this political fixer, has boasted on camera about creating sham political parties in order to fool voters into voting for candidates and parties that will be cooperative to Premier Dan Andrews, when these voters might have reasonable belief that they are actually voting against Dan Andrews. This election fixing is permitted in the state of Victoria, and it is outrageous. It is outrageous that we allow this to happen to the benefit of Daniel Andrews. It beggars belief.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Babet, you know where we're going to go here. On a point of order, Minister?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Babet is entitled to be disrespectful and use pejorative language to suit what no doubt is going to be a terrific post on Telegram or wherever the right wing are posting these days, but he is required to use the Premier of Victoria's proper title, and he ought to show the chamber a little bit more respect.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Babet, I would ask that you refer to whoever it is by their proper title.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many reports of corruption, election fixing and incompetence need to come out of Victoria before someone in the federal Labor Party finds the courage to say something? How many times?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took time out on Monday to thank Premier Dan Andrews on Twitter. He said, 'Dan Andrews is building a better future for all Victorians.' The PM is surely having a lend of us. Sixty thousand Victorians fled Victoria last year, the most on record in a single year. The future that Premier Dan Andrews is building is so good that Victorians see their future elsewhere! How can the Prime Minister support Dan Andrews and keep a straight face? This is the same Prime Minister who promised to elevate the tone of politics. When Victorians go to the polls on Saturday, they should not reward Premier Dan Andrews but instead sack him.

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

In the last few days, a video exposing preference manipulator Glenn Druery has been circulating on social media. Even the mouthpiece media were forced to acknowledge Druery's boasting confession that he manipulated election results for 25 years to sell seats in parliament. Manipulating preferences is morally reprehensible, and any party that participates in these dodgy deals is morally reprehensible. The scheme involves setting up fake parties and, in effect, selling preferences to parties that otherwise would not get enough votes to win. Most Victorians simply put a 1 above the line without realising where that party's preferences will go.

In the 2021 Western Australian election, Liberal Party preferences elected a Greens member. I am sure voters would not have taken that decision themselves. Any party participating in this scheme clearly puts power ahead of principle. Druery alumni include the Legalise Cannabis Party, the Democratic Labour Party, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, Fiona Patten's Reason Party, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party and, sadly, the Liberal Democrats. One Nation has not used Druery. We have lost elections where we significantly outpolled the winning party yet lost because of Druery's dodgy preference deals.

In 2014, Dan Andrews spoke to the Liberals about abolishing group-voting tickets. It never happened. A lot of Dan Andrews's promises never happen. One Nation's clarity and directness may not suit some people at times, yet with One Nation what you see is what you get. I stress: voters who vote above the line enable parties to allocate their preferences. Instead, for a fair democracy, preferences should not be given to corrupt, undemocratic parties and should always belong to each voter. I urge all Victorians at this weekend's election to vote below the line. Mark at least five squares. Ten is better. That's the only way voters can control and allocate who gets preferences. We have one flag, we are one community, we are One Nation and we value and protect democracy.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Hanson, in relation to the urgency motion, be agreed to.