One Nation has put key budget measures worth at least $5 billion in doubt as the minor party hardens its stance against the government’s agenda, declaring it will oppose almost all Coalition bills unless ABC funding is slashed.
As leaked recordings embroil One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in controversy and infuriate her senators and staff, party whip Brian Burston said One Nation would vote against budget items and major packages such as the media legislation changes.
Senator Burston, a critic of the ABC, said he and Senator Hanson developed the plan over dinner on Monday and finalised it yesterday.
He said One Nation would reject “all bills associated with the budget” and the media changes, if the broadcaster’s $1 billion a year funding was not cut by $600 million over the forward estimates. He blamed the broadcaster’s “unfair treatment” for the approach.
The only budget measure Senator Burston said the party’s bloc of four would consider supporting was the 2.5 per cent Medicare levy designed to fully fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme, because he did not want disabled Australians to be “held to ransom”.
“It’s about time we took a stand against the ABC because if it’s us and they destroy us, what is it next, the government? They’re showing total bias against One Nation,” he said. “Fortunately Pauline has three bodyguards now, so to speak, in the Senate and we’ve got a lot stronger since she (was) an individual in the lower house.”
The ultimatum comes after the ABC broadcast a leaked recording in which Senator Hanson appears to acknowledge a $106,000 Jabiru plane was donated by Victorian property developer Bill McNee.
Senator Burston conceded the approach could be interpreted as “payback”.
Budget measures to be opposed included the higher education changes, which would save the government $3.7bn over the forward estimates, the Gonski 2.0 school funding changes to cost the government $1.7bn over that time, and the $6.2bn big banks levy. Only the banks levy has bipartisan support, leaving the education measures in jeopardy.
Nationals senator John Williams said any ABC cuts would affect regional Australians first and called on One Nation to deal with legislation piece by piece and not let the media affect its decisions.
“Holding a gun at the nation’s head with our fiscal policies and programs because a government- owned body such as the ABC, which operates a long arm’s length from government, is giving them a carpeting over some issues? That is crazy,” he said. “They are here to represent people. Maybe Pauline doesn’t care about regional Australia, but I do.”
Victorian independent senator Derryn Hinch also lashed One Nation’s negotiating style. “If they are going to tie their funding scandals and their plane scandals to major issues about Australia’s future then that is obscene,’’ he said.
