{"id":20218,"date":"2014-07-19T15:57:37","date_gmt":"2014-07-19T05:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=20218"},"modified":"2019-04-13T23:57:57","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T13:57:57","slug":"senate-bingo-the-sarah_capper-column","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/senate-bingo-the-sarah_capper-column\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Bingo! The @sarah_capper column"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Senate-numbers_2014

Photo: Courtesy of the Parliament of Australia website<\/p><\/div>\n

A whole\u00a0new class of players\u00a0<\/a>joined the Upper House this month, and with a record number of cross-benchers \u2013 18, including the Greens \u2013 there will be deals-a-plenty and the \u201cspin cycle\u201d on overdrive. Cards will be kept close to chests; cards will be put out on the table; and, as the last week has shown, cards will just as quickly be taken away.<\/p>\n

While PUP leader Clive Palmer appeals to pensioners by saying he will block the Government\u2019s $7 GP co-payment, so that\u00a0\u201cthose ladies\u201d can \u201chave their chocolate and go to the cinema\u201d<\/a>, let\u2019s crunch the critical numbers with a round of \u2018Senate Bingo\u2019.<\/p>\n[Insert archaic rolling wheel of bingo balls and drum roll]\n

 <\/p>\n

1.<\/strong>\u00a0 For July 1, when the new federal Senate became effective. In this first week of the month, the new senators taking up their seats for the first time attended a\u00a0pre-Senate school<\/a>\u00a0of sorts, being versed in procedures of the Upper House. New Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan compared it to the first day of school, clarifying that \u201cIt\u2019s a bit better here because I get along much better with these teachers than I did with my actual teachers,<\/a>\u201d he said, as reported by Fairfax. Straight to the top of the class.<\/p>\n

The first week was also when Opposition leader Bill Shorten observed that Liberal Senators George Brandis (from Queensland) and Tasmania\u2019s Eric Abetz would be supposedly leading a \u201ccharm offensive\u201d in wooing the new cross-bench Senators. Being \u201ccharmed\u201d by Brandis and Abetz calls for a slight stretch of the imagination, or as Shorten argued,\u00a0\u201cWith those two characters, it is all offensive and no charm.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

2.<\/strong>\u00a0For the two cross-bench Senators who will continue on from the old Senate make-up to the new \u2013 Nick Xenophon from South Australia, and the Democratic Labour Party\u2019s John Madigan [DLP, shiverrrr]. This week,\u00a0both slammed Clive Palmer<\/a>, the head of the Palmer United Party, for verbally abusing Senate staff this week, namely Senate Clerk Rosemary Laing. Madigan said Palmer\u2019s actions \u201cset a bad precedent\u201d while Xenophon labelled him a bully.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect these two to agree on much (with Madigan from the more conservative side of politics), but in terms of the cross-benchers, they are two of the more experienced members of parliament.<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong>\u00a0Three is for the Palmer United Party, and the number of senators this new party recorded following last year\u2019s election \u2013 including Queensland\u2019s Glenn Lazarus, who as a former rugby league legend, was fondly known as the \u2018brick with eyes<\/a>\u2018, WA\u2019s Dio Wang (with at least one unfortunate commercial television news program recently including subtitles with Wang\u2019s comments), and Tasmania\u2019s Jacqui Lambie, who last week met with Prime Minister Tony Abbott just days after labelling him a \u201cpolitical psychopath<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Lambie, with a former military background, doesn\u2019t seem afraid of anything, and is already providing \u2018sound-clips of gold\u2019 every time she opens her mouth. After naming Labor Senator Penny Wong as one of her political heroes, Wong said,\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s very kind of her \u2026 it\u2019s not often I\u2019m on the same list as Margaret Thatcher,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0bless, with Wong adding,\u00a0\u201cWomen in politics, as we know, have to hold their own and I think Jacqui demonstrates her capacity to do that and good on her.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Stream parliament live and order in the popcorn. Can\u2019t wait for Senate Estimates if Lambie has anything to do with it!<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong>\u00a0Four is Palmer\u2019s security blanket \u2013 new Motoring Enthusiast Party Senator from Victoria, Ricky Muir, with whom Palmer did a deal in between the\u00a0WA Senate rerun election<\/a>\u00a0to shore up his PUP numbers. But don\u2019t expect Ricky \u2018Balance of Power\u2019 Muir\u2019s vote to be a given. In his first official week of the Senate meeting, Muirbroke away from his PUP<\/a>\u00a0colleagues to vote with Labor and the Greens against the Government\u2019s attempt to gag debate on the Carbon Tax repeal (something Senator Penny Wong\u00a0brilliantly articulated \u2013 clip here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Muir is also not going to be boxed in terms of predictability \u2013 last week the Motoring Enthusiast also revealed himself to be what Guardian journalist Lenore Taylor called the \u201csurprise would-be saviour<\/a>\u201d of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong>\u00a0Represents the number of single micro-party members and independent Senators \u2013 joining Nick Xenophon and John Madigan of the DLP and Muir of the Motoring Enthusiasts Party are David Leyonhjelm of the Liberal Democratic Party (not to be confused with the Liberal Party, as the suggestion goes following the 2013 poll in which NSW voters were said to be confused, thinking they were voting an Abbott party rep and providing a sound argument for non-compulsory voting), and South Australia\u2019s Bob Day from Family First.<\/p>\n

The Family First Senator is keen to dispel any myths about the new class of senators in this 44th parliament. On his arrival in Canberra, as Fairfax reported, Day noted that the cross-benchers had been labelled everything from\u00a0\u201ca mish-mash, flotsam and jetsam, bunch of barnyard (animals), licorice all-sorts, Star Wars aliens,\u201d<\/a>uh-huh.<\/p>\n

As for Leyonhjelm, he\u2019s also putting his cards on the table, earlier this week declaring his support for gay marriage and calling on the major parties to allow a conscience vote, with a nod again to Labor Senator and out-lesbian Penny Wong:<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I challenge Mr Shorten and Labor party members to look Senator [Penny] Wong in the eye and tell her she does not deserve equal rights,\u201d he said. \u201cToday, I challenge Prime Minister Abbott and Liberal party members to do the same with Mr Abbott\u2019s sister<\/a>[Christine Forster<\/a>].\u201d<\/p>\n

It should be noted that Leyonjhelm\u2019s support for gay marriage would come at a cost, dependent on his support (or removal of that support) of the Government\u2019s Temporary Protection Visa policy [Mental note: next \u2018Polly Ticks\u2019 column \u2013 Minority Groups\u2019 Wheel of Fortune!].<\/p>\n

6.<\/strong>\u00a0 Six is the magic number of senators the Coalition will need to secure votes in the new Upper House. With the Coalition holding 33 Senate seats out of a possible 76 , it needs six cross-benchers to secure just over half the Senate vote (39). Six is also the number of Seats Labor lost with the July 1 changeover \u2013 from 31 Senators to 25. \u00a0Six is also the number of senators per state who face election every three years, elected for six years each. Six six six. Yes. Hush now.<\/p>\n

7.<\/strong>\u00a0 Is for July 7, last week when the new Senate took on its physical form with the first sitting day.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Eight (as in the five single members + three PUP Senators) is the number of micro-party and independent Senators the Abbott Government can wrangle negotiations with \u2013 assuming the Greens team up with Labor on the bulk of Senate votes.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Represents the previous number of Greens Senators, up until July 1.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Represents the current number of Greens Senators \u00a0\u2013 with Janet Rice from Victoria joining Senator Christine Milne\u2019s team (along with Richard Di Natale, Penny Wright, Peter Whish-Wilson, Scott Ludlam, Rachel Siewart, Sarah Hanson-Young, and last, but certainly not least, Comrade Lee Rhiannon).<\/p>\n

11.<\/strong>\u00a0 Is for the 11 May 2016, the date ABC election guru\u00a0Antony Green explains<\/a>\u00a0is the last day Abbott could gamble a \u201cdouble dissolution\u201d (the Government can call a \u2018double dissolution\u2019 election when a bill twice fails to pass through both Houses. Unlike conventional elections, a double dissolution would dissolve the entire parliament (meaning all Senators would be up for election, not half the senate as they are usually elected for six year terms). As Green wrote on his ABC blog this week:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Constitution prevents a double dissolution being called in the last six months of a parliament, which is why 11 May is the cut-off, six months before the three-year anniversary of the current Parliament\u2019s first sitting.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that date, writs for a new half-Senate election cannot be issued before 1 July 2016, meaning the first possible date for a traditional House and half-Senate election is 6 August 2016.\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

12.<\/strong>\u00a0 Represents the number of Senators elected per state for six year terms, with six contesting every federal poll at half senate elections (by contrast, there are two senators for each territory, elected on three-year terms (or corresponding with the next federal election cycle).<\/p>\n

13<\/strong>.\u00a0 7 + 6 = 13, with \u201876\u2019 representing the total number of Australian Senators.<\/p>\n

14<\/strong>. Represents the estimated number of\u00a0yellow ties<\/a>\u00a0PUP Senators Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang have in their possession \u2013 one for each day of the week. Not to be confused with the\u00a0blue tie<\/a>\u00a0brigade.<\/p>\n

15.<\/strong>\u00a0Represents the estimated number of front page stories run by the Australian newspaper on PUP Leader Clive Palmer\u2019s business deals and\/or name calling with Queensland Premier Campbell Newman, over any 15 day period between now and the next election.<\/p>\n

16.<\/strong>\u00a0For 2016 and the next federal election. Bring it. By this stage these brand new baby senators should be seasoned players (and will not be contesting their senate seats until 2019), however their performance will surely have an impact on how the country votes in terms of electing the next round of senate cross-benchers.<\/p>\n

17.<\/strong>\u00a0Is for 17 July \u2013 for today, the last day the Senate is scheduled to meet during this Winter-sitting.<\/p>\n

18.<\/strong>\u00a0Is for the record number of cross-bench senators ever elected, in this 44th parliament.\u00a0 As Opposition Leader, Prime Minister Tony Abbott thrived on a diet of cynical opportunism and negativity that undermined community confidence in the previous democratically-formed minority Labor government. Despite the Gillard Government\u2019srecord in terms of passing more legislation<\/a>\u00a0than any other previous government (per time frame), Abbott was relentless in labeling the minority government as \u2018dysfunctional\u2019 and \u2018paralysed\u2019.<\/p>\n

Welcome, Prime Minister, to your new political challenge, starting with a short course in how to negotiate in a complex environment, and on complex policy issues.<\/p>\n

BINGO!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A whole\u00a0new class of players\u00a0joined the Upper House this month, and with a record number of cross-benchers \u2013 18, including the Greens \u2013 there will be deals-a-plenty and the \u201cspin cycle\u201d on overdrive. Cards will be kept close to chests; cards will be put out on the table; and, as the last week has shown, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":20220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"@sarah-capper explains the new senate: Senate Bingo! http:\/\/wp.me\/p3t0mw-5g6","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3434,1986,62,585,43],"tags":[1366,1747,147,1721,2602,172,1244,1219,766,2591,1304,1016,236,238,306,337,2573,857,362,1353,405,408,427,1681,470,738],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Senate-numbers_2014-from-July-e1405741914116.jpg?fit=800%2C665&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t0mw-5g6","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20218"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}