Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie pushing to meet with PM on climate change, Nauru as Government’s power hangs in balance
CROSSBENCHERS led by SA’s Rebekha Sharkie are demanding to meet with the Prime Minister on contentious policies, wielding new power before guaranteeing support for the Government — as Kerryn Phelps stays on track to win Wentworth.
National
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CROSSBENCHERS led by South Australia’s Rebekha Sharkie are demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on contentious policies, wielding their new power before guaranteeing support for the Government, as independent Kerryn Phelps remains on track to claim the seat of Wentworth.
Dr Phelps was thought to have secured a historic by-election win on Saturday night against Liberal candidate Dave Sharma following an unprecedented swing of more than 20 per cent in the polls.
In a dramatic twist in dumped prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat, the margin narrowed to 1626 votes on Sunday.
If Dr Phelps wins, six crossbenchers will hold the power in a hung Parliament with Labor holding 69 seats and the Coalition one short of a majority with 75.
Centre Alliance MP Sharkie and independent MP Cathy McGowan have joined forces and called for a meeting with Mr Morrison as soon as practical before they will guarantee their support for the government.
This is despite both MPs guaranteeing confidence in the government during the by-election campaign, where they both campaigned for Ms Phelps.
Ms Sharkie, the member for Mayo, said her party naturally supports crossbenchers who are in the centre of the political spectrum — sharing a similar position on government policies. “That’s what Cathy McGowan is, that’s what I am, that’s what Kerryn Phelps is,” she said.
Ms Phelps has maintained her first priorities, if elected, will be to seek action on climate change and getting asylum seeker children off Nauru — issues that matter to her supporters.
Ms Sharkie said the issues raised in Wentworth — such as climate change, a national corruption watchdog, asylum seekers — were no different to Mayo.
“I’m hopeful that it (the by-election) will be a wake up call for government that some of their decision making has been out of alignment with the nation,” she said.
“We have to do something with the children on Nauru, the situation is untenable.
“There are some issues that the government will not be ignoring and the ones I raised are those ones.”
A former Liberal staffer, Ms Sharkie also hit out at the party, saying “they need to come back to centre where most of Australia is”.
“They keep referring to getting back to the base but certainly in my time when I worked for the Liberal Party, it was not this far right group, it was progressive people that sit in the centre of politics,” she said. Aside from Ms Sharkie and Ms McGowan, reaction from crossbench members has been mixed.
Bob Katter revealed he would guarantee confidence in supply in return for the government meeting a list of his demands, which was dismissed by Ms Sharkie as pork-barrelling. Independent Andrew Wilkie said he would not guarantee confidence and Greens MP Adam Bandt said an election had to be called and the “the sooner we turf out this rotten government, the better”. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would continue to work closely with cross benchers, with whom he has a “very good relationship with”.
He still held hope that Mr Sharma would win, saying that Liberal voters had expressed their “anger”. More postal votes will be counted by the Australian Electoral Commission in coming days.
a government caught in the crossfire
Votes needed to bring down the Government with Labor: Six
Crossbench MPS to decide Government’s fate
Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie
Member for Denison
Has previously backed a no-confidence motion against the Turnbull government.
Possibility: Likely
Victorian independent Cathy McGowan
Member for Indi
Ruled out backing a no-confidence motion while the Wentworth by-election was taking place, but has kept options open for remainder of the term.
Possibility: Unlikely
South Australian independent Rebekha Sharkie
Member for Mayo
Guaranteed not to back a no-confidence motion during the Wentworth by-election, but said she would “reconsider her position” afterwards.
Possibility: Unlikely
Queensland independent Bob Katter
Member for Kennedy
Says he wants to ensure stability but has released a list of demands to be met by the government.
Possibility: Maybe
Greens MP Adam Bandt
Member for Melbourne
Will back a no-confidence motion against the government saying we “need to go to an election”.
Possibility: Definitely
Kerryn Phelps
Likely independent Member for Wentworth
Left open the prospect of voting against the government in a motion during the by-election.
Possibility: Unlikely
Originally published as Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie pushing to meet with PM on climate change, Nauru as Government’s power hangs in balance
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