We are certainly going to have an interesting new senate that was prepared to fall on its sword and looks like being paid in an even bigger number of votes at the expense of the two major parties that have always took it for granted that it was a tag team two horse race in the past .
Lambie turns up heat on Turnbull,
Shorten
SEAN FORD
June 28, 2016, 4:33 p.m.
Senator Jacqui Lambie is pouring Tasmanian policy pressure on Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten as the election looms.
The crossbencher has written to the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader demanding answers on a range of issues by the close of business on Friday.
She plans to share their responses on social media before Saturday’s election, in a move which could potentially swing crucial votes.
Senator Lambie has asked for the final policy positions from both leaders on 12 matters including:
Providing the full $30 million requested towards visitor infrastructure upgrades at Cradle Mountain;
keeping the Mersey Community Hospital open and fully staffed;
funding and staffing another 146 Tasmanian public hospital beds;
a 50c per litre levy on milk to benefit dairy farmers;
cutting freight costs by treating Bass Strait as a national highway;
banning supertrawlers;
a 5.8 per cent boost to the age pension; and
committing not to deregulate tertiary education;
She took a swipe at the Liberals and Greens, urging Mr Turnbull to remove the “hurtful lie” that a vote for her was a vote for the Greens from all official Liberal material, and apologise.
“I would prefer that this matter is dealt with in an adult way, rather than calling in the authorities,” she said.
“It’s clear from the fact that I’ve chosen an open ticket … that I have not preferenced any other political party.
“So why would the Liberals say I’ve preferenced the Greens, who have caused a loss of at least $5 billion in Tasmanian business investment, have been responsible for the death of at least 5000 jobs and who, I have publicly joked about in the past, are similar to the Taliban because they want us to live in the dark ages?”
Greens Tasmanian Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said: “I think after you scratch the surface Senator Lambie is a greenie at heart.”
“Putting aside the bravado, you can see from the record that she votes with the Greens more often than not.
“While we clearly both have our differences, I look forward to having the chance to keep working with her to put Tasmanian issues on the national agenda.
”
Mr Turnbull has been urging voters not to vote for minor parties or independents, and warning against a Labor-Greens-independents alliance
