Senator Nick Xenophon reveals his 11-point balance of power wishlist
SENATOR Nick Xenophon says his team would use the balance of power to fulfil an 11-point wishlist, as the Government savages them for being just another dysfunctional Palmer United Party.
Federal Election
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- Nick Xenophon — is he all spin or substance?
- Fears of ‘dirty preference deal’ by major parties to keep NXT out
- Former PM John Howard blasts Xenophon, predicts vote will fade
- Mr X issues list of demands in return for preferences to major parties
- How the election can hand Xenophon even more power
SENATOR Nick Xenophon says his team would use the balance of power to fulfil an 11-point wishlist, as the Government savages them for being just another dysfunctional Palmer United Party.
NXT is on track to pick up three Senate seats and possibly four, and may even win seats in the House of Representatives. Mayo, held by former minister Jamie Briggs, is the most likely.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is likely to warn again today about potential “chaos” if the Coalition does not win a majority in both houses.
Senator Xenophon has now revealed his “wishlist” and told The Advertiser the team would not hesitate to use its power, particularly on the urgent matter of creating jobs.
“We will use our numbers; we’ll do a combination of things,” he said.
“We’ll be carrying through with Senate inquiries, legislation, lobbying, working with state and federal governments.
“There’s an urgency. We’ll fall into a hole unless we get these jobs.”
In an election-eve social media assault on Senator Xenophon and his party, the Liberals will today brand them as no different to the now-fractured party once spearheaded by controversial tycoon Clive Palmer.
The campaign aims to capitalise on the popular TV drama Orange is the New Black, declaring the Nick Xenophon Team’s orange brand the new Palmer yellow.
“Remember the chaos, the self-interest and finally the splintering of the yellow-clad Palmer United Party senators,” the campaign booklet asks rhetorically.
“Nick Xenophon’s orange-branded team is no different. No real party structure. No shared philosophy. No common goals. No real solutions.
“Just an empty brand masquerading as a political party.”
In an 11-part wishlist, NXT has put manufacturing and jobs at the top.
The other priorities are predatory gambling, government accountability, protection of agricultural land, infrastructure, education, health, drug rehabilitation, energy prices, the environment (particularly of the Murray Darling Basin), and migration.
Senator Xenophon has long been pushing for SA to get a special regional migration status to lure business migrants here to live and invest; and to make the state a hub for international students.
He said on Wednesday he was hoping to push for more funds from the Automotive Transformation Scheme to be spent to help auto companies diversify and expand, and that he was worried about Whyalla, where he spent the day and met with Arrium administrator Mark Mentha.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is set to use his National Press Club speech to talk about the risks of a hung Senate.
According to the polls Mr Turnbull should win Government but is likely to face a bolshie crossbench in the upper house. NXT has emerged as the biggest threat.
Mr Turnbull is likely to warn about how the minor parties can affect how Parliament works and how well the Government can achieve policy outcomes.
He has consistently said that unless Australians vote to return the Coalition with a majority the nation will face the instability of a hung Parliament with a “Greens-Labor-Independent alliance”.
Mr Turnbull is also set today to call on Australians to “stick together” in “uncertain times”.
“I believe they want our Parliament to offload the ideology, to end the juvenile theatrics and gotcha moments, to drop the personality politics,” he will say.
“In these uncertain times, we need to stick together, stick to our economic plan, grow our economy, create more jobs, and build a better future for all Australians.”
Labor have attacked NXT on their fluid position on penalty rates; while at one stage Senator Xenophon argued for some changes he now says the team will follow the decision made by the Fair Work Commission.
The Senate crossbench could also include One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and television personality Derryn Hinch as well as South Australians from The Australian Greens and Family First. South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said her party would fight for renewable energy, particularly the solar thermal plant planned for Port Augusta, and to close the detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru.
“It’s inevitable that they’ll have to close, we just need to do it before there’s any more suffering,” she said.
Family First Senator Bob Day said his consistent wishlist was a job and a house for everyone, and that allowing people to opt out of the workplace regulation system was part of that.
MR X’s WISHLIST
1. MANUFACTURING AND JOBS
A. An immediate rescue package for steelmaker Arrium based on the administrator’s recommendations to secure the long-term future of Whyalla and save 6000 jobs.
B. To release sufficient funds from the $750 million that will be underspent in the automotive transformation scheme, to give automotive component companies an opportunity to diversify and expand — including advanced and innovative manufacturing. To also use those funds to turbocharge the Northern Adelaide Plains horticulture proposal which will create thousands of jobs.
C. Insist on “buy Australian first” with the $59 billion a year the Commonwealth spends on procurement, and for the Commonwealth to insist that the states and local government do the same.
D. That Australia does not sign up to the WTO procurement agreement which will allow private companies from up to 40 countries to compete unfairly with local Australian companies for Australian government procurement.
E. Strengthen our anti-dumping laws to ensure below-cost goods are not dumped on our shores and kill off Australian jobs.
F. Strengthen and reform vocational training and apprenticeships — including those workers transitioning from other industries.
G. Maximise local industry participation in the supply ships contract rather than all shipbuilding jobs going to Spain.
2. PREDATORY GAMBLING
With 400,000 Australians with a gambling problem or showing signs of developing one, and each problem gambler affecting the lives of seven others:
A. Implement the Productivity Commission’s recommendation for $1 maximum bets and a maximum of $120 in hourly losses on pokies (compared to the $1200 per hour that can be lost now).
B. Clamp down on online sports betting inducements such as free credits and credit betting, and to stop betting ads being shown during sports broadcasts and in children’s viewing times.
3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
Whistleblowers deserve protection and compensation and journalists protected from prosecution for reporting on leaked government documents that are in the public interest.
A. A reform of Freedom of Information laws to make them more transparent.
B. Truth in political advertising laws — so political parties can be fined for false and misleading advertising in the same way companies are.
4. PROTECT OUR PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND AND FOOD PRODUCTION
A. We oppose the sale of S. Kidman and Co. to overseas interests and will move for a stronger and clearer national interest test on foreign investment here.
B. A clear water trigger for fracking that can impact on water tables and prime agricultural land.
C. Provide tax incentives for superannuation funds to invest in Australian agriculture and food production — given currently $300 billion of Australian superfunds are invested overseas.
5. INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROADS
For SA to get its fair share of funding for infrastructure and rural roads. The $28 million in supplementary road funding that was taken away from SA must be restored.
6. EDUCATION
In addition to implementing Gonski, an emphasis on teacher mentoring and support — to allow good teachers to become great teachers and the benefits that flow to students.
7. HEALTH
To ensure there is a greater emphasis on preventive health and to preserve Medicare as a universal safety net.
8. DRUG REHABILITATION
Regional SA communities and our suburbs have been devastated by the scourge of the drug ice. There needs to be pilot programs urgently implemented to provide mandatory rehabilitation in severe cases with family support, with clinics in metro and regional SA.
9. ENERGY PRICES
To facilitate a crisis meeting between state and federal governments, industry and consumers over SA’s high power prices which would involve a greater emphasis on interconnection of the power grid with Victoria, and supporting the base load solar thermal plant in Port Augusta.
10. ENVIRONMENT
To ensure the Murray Darling Basin Plan is implemented with a combined emphasis on a healthy river and strong support for irrigation communities.
11. MIGRATION
A. To give SA (and other low-population growth states) a special regional migration status to encourage business migrants and their families to come here to invest and stay. Even 2000 business migrants and their families a year would provide a multi-million dollar boost to the state.
B. To make SA an international students hub to encourage growth in our higher education and vocational education sectors.
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