Centre Alliance Senators will lobby for Murray River Royal Commission and seek answers on high energy prices

Centre Alliance’s two Senators are likely to have a key role in challenging the Coalition’s plans for the Murray River and energy prices

• Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie outlines priorities

Centre Alliance has raised concerns about the Coalition’s power policy, its position on the River Murray and the next defence minister as it considers its Senate bargaining chips.

Senators Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick look set to again play a key role in Federal Parliament’s upper house with the Coalition needing cross bench support to pass legislation.

The pair told The Advertiser they would use any power to lobby for a royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and an energy plan that addresses why Australian gas is being sold overseas at half the price it is here.

“Energy prices have not been resolved,” Senator Patrick said.

“During the last Parliament we actually got a number of things when we were working with the last government but I think we have to be harder this time around.”

“Gas prices are on the rise again and in 2016 we forced into regulation the ability to exercise what is called the Australian domestic gas security mechanism.

“It allows the government to look ahead and if they think there is a shortfall in the domestic markets they can ban exports.

“We forced them to get it into regulation but they have not exercised it. We will have a definite focus on that.”

Senator Griff said Australia was now the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world. “But we are building import terminals,” he said.

“It could be our gas coming back into Australia.”

Centre Alliance Senators Rex Patrick and Stirling Griff will examine the Coalition’s policies on energy costs and the Murray River. Picture Kym Smith

Centre Alliance says other key issues for SA include advanced manufacturing jobs, infrastructure funding in regional areas and banning drilling in the Great Australian Bight. “These are the things we will exercise our influence over in a responsible and considered manner,” Senator Patrick said. The former submariner said he would also keep a close eye on Linda Reynolds, who is set to replace Christopher Pyne as Defence Minister.

Senator Reynolds has often spruiked the shipbuilding capabilities in Western Australia, sparking fears that she will push for submarine sustainment work to be moved from SA to her home state.

Centre Alliance’s Skye Kakoschke-Moore, who left parliament in the dual-citizenship scandal, also failed to win back her seat in SA. Senate projections on Monday night showed the Coalition was on track to secure 34 seats out of 76 Senate seats.

The projections mean the Government will rely heavily on the support of cross benchers, including Centre Alliance and One Nation to pass legislation that Labor and the Greens disagree with.

Ten sitting senators are on the way out, including Lisa Singh and Gavin Marshall (Labor), Ian Macdonald, Jim Molan, Lucy Gichuhi (Liberals), Steve Martin (Nationals), Peter Georgiou (One Nation), Derryn Hinch (Justice Party), Fraser Anning (Conservative Nationals) and Duncan Spender (Liberal Democrats).