Teals warn: Don’t assume we won’t back Dutton in a hung parliament (23 Oct 2024)
Article summary: Teal MPs, including Kate Chaney, have indicated they might support Peter Dutton’s bid for prime minister if next year’s federal election results in a hung parliament. However, their backing would depend on significant policy shifts, particularly in climate action and tax reform.
Allegra Spender (Wentworth) and Kylea Tink (North Sydney) also left the door open to negotiations with either major party, emphasising that stronger commitments to reducing carbon emissions and economic reform would be key. Spender suggested that the Coalition might be pressured into more decisive climate action if negotiations become necessary.
At the National Press Club, Spender highlighted concerns about Australia’s tax system and industrial relations. She called for reducing personal income tax, alleviating the regulatory burden on small businesses, and introducing new consumption taxes to strengthen the federal budget. Spender pointed out that two households earning the same amount could pay vastly different taxes depending on their work status, calling this imbalance unsustainable. Her plan for economic reform, developed in consultation with experts, calls for simplifying industrial relations rules and reducing tax concessions over time.
Kate Chaney (Curtin) supported her colleagues’ openness to negotiations but emphasised the importance of maintaining her independence in parliament. She stated, “In that circumstance, I’d look at the issues that my community is telling me are important and be willing to work constructively with both sides.”
Chaney was clear about protecting her right to vote freely on each piece of legislation, saying, “There aren’t circumstances where I would give up my ability to vote on the merits of every piece of legislation and every vote. I think that’s a fundamental aspect of representative democracy.”
Tink echoed the sentiment that negotiations would be guided by community needs, particularly around climate and housing. However, her political future remains uncertain as her North Sydney seat is being abolished in the upcoming NSW redistribution.
Spender warned that if the Albanese government faced a hung parliament next term, it could reflect a systemic issue, stating, “If we end up with a minority government next term, it would not be an aberration of our political system. It would be a consequence of that system being broken. And perhaps a route to fixing it.”
Chaney, along with Spender and Tink, made it clear that the interests of their communities would shape any negotiations in the event of a hung parliament, with climate and economic reform remaining top priorities.
Related article: Hung parliament would power up pressure on gas (28 Aug 2024)
