Ministers hope Lazarus act may unblock budget

THE Abbott government will try to exploit a surprise blow to Clive Palmer’s political power to seek approval for blocked budget measures.

Senator Glenn Lazarus discusses his defection yesterday. Picture: Peter Wallis

THE Abbott government will seek to exploit a surprise blow to Clive Palmer’s political power after he lost another key ally in the Senate, opening up a new chance to secure approval for $18.8 billion in blocked budget measures.

Cabinet ministers will reopen talks with crossbench senators within days to overcome objections to the budget agenda after Queenslander Glenn Lazarus stunned his colleagues by quitting the Palmer United Party in the hours before dawn yesterday.

Clearly emotional, Senator Lazarus said yesterday he could “only cop so much bullying” and revealed he had sought the guidance of his former Brisbane Broncos rugby league coach Wayne Bennett about his future.

Tony Abbott said he was not going to “shirk the task” of getting major reforms through the parliament but blamed a “feral Labor Party” for blocking the savings.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison is preparing to negotiate with the Senate over changes to pension indexation and a new family and childcare package, while Education Minister Christopher Pyne faces a make-or-break vote on his university bill that would reduce public funding and increase fees.

Some within the government think it will be difficult to convince Senator Lazarus to back budget savings, seeing him as more sympathetic to Labor’s side of politics.

But the shrinking of the PUP — which lost Tasmanian Jacqui Lambie in November — is exp­ected to give its West Australian senator Dio “Zhenya” Wang more say on policies.

Joe Hockey said yesterday’s ­developments would give Senator Wang more influence and Senator Lazarus might also consider the government bills on their merits rather than having “other influences” at play.

Savings on pension indexation, university fees, family tax benefits, unemployment benefits, the Disability Support Pension and Medicare total $18.8bn over four years, according to a tally last month by the Parliamentary Budget Office, but all these measures are stalled in parliament. Mr Morrison said he would now engage directly with Senator Lazarus rather than through Mr Palmer.

“I am willing to discuss the measures currently in the Senate but the rules around the debate still apply — you have got to have something to the table and you ­always have to be prepared to ­address how any initiatives are funded because the money doesn’t fall from the sky,” he said.

Mr Pyne said he had been “surprised” that Senator Lazarus had not wanted to discuss government bills in the past but he hoped Senator Wang could support the university changes.

Yesterday Senator Wang declared his allegiance to the party and spoke up for Mr Palmer,

“I get along with Clive very well,” he said.

“I think maybe the fact that I worked for Clive for a number of years did help both of us understand each other better.

“I think the party has a strong future as well, that’s why I’m committed.”

The resignations of Senator Lambie and now Senator Lazarus were “teething problems that didn’t end up well”, Senator Wang said.