Australians were deeply impressed yesterday when many Nationals listened to the people and voted down a bad, rushed, and potentially harmful set of laws.
The omnibus bill, which mysteriously popped into life with dubious parentage, was carved in half and offered up as a gun buyback bill and hate speech bill.
Neither of these were a demonstration of careful, focused legislation by Labor and it remains questionable whether they would have averted the terror attack at Bondi Beach. Doubly so, others say, as the laws already in place were not being properly utilised.
Yesterday, the Nationals quickly broke ranks with their Coalition partner, indicating they would be reluctant to fall in line behind the poorly drafted mess. On the right, they were supported by One Nation, which made an unwavering commitment to oppose both bills in their current form.
This is not to say that the Nationals (or One Nation) disagree on the general principles involved. Most believe there are several hateful groups in Australia, including one banned in many nations, that should be outlawed in the name of public safety. It is the way in which these things are resolved that matters. In banning a handful of groups, you have to be careful not to lay the groundwork for future political persecution in which a ruling party might brand its opponents as hateful or threaten grassroots dissidents with jail.
There is a real fear that necessary free speech will be infringed, political communication chilled, and, in the other bill, guns being taken off law-abiding (mostly regional) Australians. This was a concern strengthened by Labor’s possible desire to ban conservative-leaning social media platform X.
As Senator Ross Cadell said of yesterday’s hate speech bill, ‘I had real fears about what could happen, so I did what I thought had to be done.’
In the aftermath of the Nationals’ bravery to do the right thing, Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald, and Ross Cadell have all resigned for the sin of breaking Shadow Cabinet solidarity.
Pauline Hanson has ruled out offering One Nation membership to three renegade Nationals Senators who resigned from the Shadow Cabinet less than a day after crossing the floor to vote against the Albanese government’s hate speech reforms.
Pauline Hanson did, however, congratulate them on taking a stand.
It was reported that Sussan Ley asked Nationals Leader David Littleproud to present three individuals to replace them.
‘Last night three Nationals Senators were unable to maintain that Shadow Cabinet solidarity. This is an unfortunate circumstance and one that requires action. They have each offered their resignations from the Shadow Cabinet, as is appropriate, and I have accepted them,’ said Ley.
How many times have we heard the Liberals say they want the best person for the job? When it comes to Shadow Cabinet, that is hardly true. More often than not it feels as though the best people are tossed aside in favour of party loyalty instead of national loyalty.
Guess which one voters care about?
In response to the fiasco, Littleproud said, ‘This decision [to vote against the bill] does not reflect on the relationship within the Coalition. The Coalition has secured significant improvements to the legislation, but the Nationals’ party room has concluded that more time is required to more fully examine and test the bill before it is finalised.’
The Nationals are cross with Sussan Ley and so it follows that all of its frontbench members might step down.
According to the Australian, who have seen a letter from Littleproud, he queried the situation saying that a final bill position would have to have been approved by Shadow Cabinet.
The letter read:
‘This did not take place for this bill, nor was the position presented to the joint party room. These were unique circumstances created by the arrogance and incompetence of the Albanese government’s process. The Nationals believe strongly that the Liberal and National Coalition partnership is the best way to remove this Labor government.
‘Opposing this bill was a party room decision. The entire National Party Shadow Ministry is equally bound and committed to that decision and therefore the consequences that may result.’
It is utterly ridiculous, at least for conservative voters, to watch the Coalition behave in this way. Particularly Ley.
Labor has presided over a tragedy that took place, at least in part, because of repeated failures by the ruling government but also earlier failures of Coalition governments.
The bills offered up in response began as a travesty of cynical opportunism by Labor and deteriorated further with self-serving input from the Teals and Greens.
The amendments made by the Coalition were minor in comparison to the problematic content and as such, Sussan Ley should have left the voting up to her elected members, each of whom is best placed to know what the people they represent would want.
Not only are many conservatives criticising the Liberal leadership for their decision to side with Labor over the hate speech laws, they are appalled at the party-level heavy-handedness.
Every second Ley spends criticising the Nationals over this is another voter or party member lost to One Nation. That is not a guess, that is a fact. If there are any Liberal staffers out there reading this, go online and listen to your own people. They are leaving you because of this behaviour.
Senator Matt Canavan is out this morning with his ‘Dark Nats: Free Speech Warriors!’ memes and Pauline Hanson is winking at the camera.
The Liberals could have walked away from this with a few minor scratches, instead they are in danger of becoming a minor party.
Flat White is written by Alexandra Marshall. If you would like to support her work, shout her a coffee over at donor-box.
