Major party leaders fear potential bonfire of the vanities

MALCOLM Turnbull and Bill Shorten have pleaded with Australians to be careful with their votes today and not risk a chaotic Senate full of obstructionist Independents.

Cross bench Senators David Leyonhjelm, Glenn Lazarus and Nick Xenephon together for a panel address to the National Press Club. Picture: Ray Strange

THE nation’s political leaders are warning Australians against casting a protest vote today which could lead to chaos spawned by vanity parties, single-issue groups and nutters taking over the Senate.

Opinion polling suggests that one in five voters plan to turn their back on the major parties today, in an election that was called in part to clear out a “dysfunctional” Senate.

As voters head to ballot boxes in a double dissolution election, called in part to clear out a “dysfunctional” upper house, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition leader Bill Shorten are urging them to think carefully before having their say.

Pollsters fear up to three crossbench senators could be elected in Queensland, with Greens Senator Larissa Waters likely to be joined by One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and the possibility of a Katter’s Australian Party, Glenn Lazarus or a second Green taking the final spot.

There was a record 31 per cent vote for minor parties in the Senate in 2013.

This year pirates, voteflux, a plethora of single issue parties and people backing senators from other states are among the long list of would-be representatives who could reduce the Senate to chaos.

Polling was predicting the Greens’ vote would improve by 1.3 per cent on the last election, catching 10 per cent of the primary vote.

As he has since the surprise Brexit vote, Mr Turnbull promised a Coalition Government would deliver stability and a strong majority government.

“A vote for independents and minor parties means Australians will find themselves this time next week with no clarity about their future,” he said.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie. Picture: Kym Smith

Queensland Senate hopeful Pauline Hanson.

Mr Shorten yesterday urged Queenslanders to back Labor in both the House and the Senate to “save Medicare”.

“A vote for the minor parties is a vote wasted,” he said.

“Whatever happens in this election, if we see longer queues, because of the time it takes to fill out the Senate ballot paper, if we see One Nation elected, if we see a greater informal vote, blame Malcolm Turnbull and the Greens, this was their idea.”

The last vanity party to be elected with more than one MP was the Palmer United Party in 2013, which had two of its three Senators quit and form their own political outfits before their term was up.

Many single-issue parties may have policies which would surprise the casual voter.

Greens Senator Larissa Waters. Picture: Jono Searle

The Animal Justice Party advocate a “plant-based diet” for people and want to keep the national birthrate at or below replacement levels.

The Health Party want natural medicine on an equal footing with scientifically proven pharmaceuticals and believes fluoridated water is toxic, while the Arts Party wants $10 million for a National Ensemble of Theatre Actors which would hire 100 thespians on a fulltime basis.

Senator Lazarus earlier this week attacked Mr Turnbull for warning people off minor parties. “This is nothing more than an attempt by Malcolm Turnbull and his Government to get total control of both houses of Parliament,” he said.

His former colleague from the Palmer United Party Jacqui Lambie also questioned claims that minor parties would lead to chaos.

“Let’s remember the real ‘chaos’ and violence in overseas politics,” she said.

It is unknown how the new Senate voting rules will impact on this election. Group voting tickets above the line have been abolished, with voters now having to number six preferences above the line or at least 12 preferences below the line.

Despite this, a vote above the line will still be counted if only one box is correctly marked.

Originally published as Major party leaders fear potential bonfire of the vanities