Labor Senate leader Penny Wong says the party's results off the WA senate re-run was disappointing. Source: AAP
INDEPENDENT senator Nick Xenophon is warning his parliamentary colleagues they will be punished by voters if the new Senate becomes a circus.
Following a re-run of the Senate election in Western Australia, the Palmer United Party now forms a significant voting bloc in the upper house.
That has led to suggestions its founder, the unpredictable billionaire businessman and MP Clive Palmer, could have a destabilising influence.
Senator Xenophon said the new Senate could either work really well or be a "complete disaster".
"I think the new Senate will pose challenges to the government that they've never seen before," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
Earlier, Mr Palmer indicated the Abbott government would face tough negotiations on key policies such as the carbon and mining taxes, despite PUP's general support for their repeal.
Buoyed by his success in the WA vote, Mr Palmer said a deal on the mining tax was dependent on the government dumping plans to scrap welfare payments for children of dead or severely injured soldiers.
He also wants repeal of the carbon tax to apply retrospectively to its introduction in July 2012.
A decision on whether to negotiate on both will be left to his senators, Mr Palmer says.
"We haven't yet made a final decision on what our position will be," he said.
Senator Xenophon said it was not in Mr Palmer's nature to behave as others would like him to behave.
"If the Senate turns into a circus, the Australian people will punish those senators that are turning it into a circus accordingly at the ballot box."
Government Senate leader Eric Abetz says he is confident a deal can be struck with PUP on the mining and carbon taxes.
"I'm sure the Palmer United senators will come to the Senate with a sense of goodwill," he said.
Labor says Prime Minister Tony Abbott is now "hugging-up" to Mr Palmer after being critical of the billionaire miner during the WA Senate campaign.
"I think there's a bit of Palmer karma coming his way," Labor frontbencher Jason Clare said.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Don't let Senate become a circus: Xenophon
Dengan url
http://tempatistirahatan.blogspot.com/2014/04/dont-let-senate-become-circus-xenophon.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Don't let Senate become a circus: Xenophon
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Don't let Senate become a circus: Xenophon
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar