Ensuring Integrity Bill: Jacquie Lambie continues negotiations with government

Jacqui Lambie will continue negotiations over the Coalition’s union-restricting bill despite threatening to put talks on hold.

Senator Jacqui Lambie in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: AAP

Senate crossbencher Jacqui Lambie will continue negotiations with the government over the Coalition’s union-restricting Ensuring Integrity Bill despite threatening to put talks on hold.

Senator Lambie said on Thursday that she intended to suspend talks over the bill, criticising the government’s failure to release the Gaetjens sports rorts report and the retention of Bridget McKenzie as Nationals Senate Leader.

Asked on Sky News if she was going to put the talks on hold, she said: “Yeah, I’m going to put a hold on them this morning, I’ll be honest with you. Yeah, I’m done.”

However, The Australian understands that while Senator Lambie remained concerned about the government’s conduct , she has decided to keep negotiating with Attorney-General, Christian Porter about her proposed amendments to the bill.

The Coalition is likely to need Senator Lambie’s vote if it is to succeed in its second attempt to pass the bill that seeks to make its easier to deregister unions and ban union officials,

While Senator Lambie will keep talking to the government about her proposed changes, it does not mean she is more likely to vote for it.

A spokesman for Mr Porter said on Thursday that the “government continues to consult with the crossbenchers including Senator Lambie”.

Following the bill’s defeat in the Senate last year, the government hopes to have a second tilt at passing the bill this parliamentary session.

After One Nation voted against the bill, the government is hoping to convince Centre Alliance and Senator Lambie to deliver the required numbers to pass it.

Centre Alliance backed the original bill but has put its support on hold pending negotiations over the amendments between Mr Porter and Senator Lambie.

An imminent government decision on whether to move the maintenance contract for the ­Collins-class submarine from ­Adelaide to Perth will also impact Centre Alliance’s position.

On Sky News, Senator Lambie questioned why she would vote for the bill given the government’s handling of the sports rorts saga.

“If they can’t show integrity up here and do the right thing, why would I be voting for an Ensuring Integrity Bill,” she said

She said the bill’s scope had to be “quite reduced”. “I don’t want workers penalised – union workers should be able to go out and strike. It’s got to be a lot more targeted, there’s no doubt about that,” she said.