This week, the Coalition finally admitted what many had already suspected: preference deals with Pauline Hansons One Nation (PHON) and Clive Palmers United Australia Party (UAP).

GUNNING FOR WINNERS

Everyone likes to win. Society generally rewards winners. However, progressive societies, the kind most of us want to live in, are also concerned about the way the game is played.

The current iteration of the Federal Liberal-National Coalition appears to have thrown the rules of competition, indeed, of governance, out with the Joyce babys bathwater.

Now, yes, every government needs to take steps to maintain power. But how can anyone of conscience be complicit in the election to parliament of people who sell out to gun manufacturers? Of peoplewho believe climate change is a hoaxbecause of dinosaurs and water?Or, of people who willfully cheat Australian taxpayers in order to line their own pockets?

PALMER’S CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR VOTERS

UAPLeaderClive Palmer has shown contempt for voters, at best. Theworst scenario is thathe has knowingly ripped off his own workers and Australianvoters. Australian taxpayers footed the bill when the Coalition Government paid his outstanding $67 million in worker entitlements, for which he is facing legal action.

Criminal charges have also been imposed by ASICfor his allegedillegal business dealings.

Palmer haspromised to pay the $7 million owed to his Queensland Nickel workers, still outstanding more than three years after they were laid off, initially, only after the Federal Election, and then indicating he had already paid this amount.Palmer has previously referred to these people his former employees whose entitlements he has until now refused to pay as “hopeless”.

On his initial entry into Parliament in 2013, Palmers statement of interestsincluded over 200 companies, directorships and various investments and trusts, all of which he refused to divest because he argued:

“Mate, I’ve got more money than you could ever dream of, what’s the conflict of interest?”

Of course, at least one of these non-conflicting interests is an enormous Queensland coal mining operation awaiting government approval.

And its not only Clive himself who treats the democratic process with callous disregard.At least 19 UAP candidates have submitted incomplete or inconsistent informationto the Australian Electoral Commission, relating to their eligibility to run for parliament. In one of these cases, the candidate for HumeLynda Abdoapparently informed the UAP that her parents were born in Syria and Lebanon onfour occasions (which would constitutea s44 breach), but the partystill omitted these facts in itssubmission to the AEC.

As Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek put it:

" Whatis in it for Clive Palmer? What dealhas Scott Morrison made? We knowthat Clive Palmer does nothing forpeople without expecting some returnon his investment. What’s the dealhere?"

Well, we now know that the Coalition whose most memorable achievement overthe last four administrations is arguably the Howard Government’s gun legislation five minutes after the Christchurch atrocity, is even prepared to sell out on this vitally important regulation.

TREACHEROUS, TREASONOUS PHONIES

Which brings us to thatever-entertaining,PHONLeader Pauline Hanson and her ever-changing, merry band of candidates. We might laugh at her preposterous ramblings, such as the recent interview she gave onthatever-willing platform_, The_ _Today Show,_in which she rambled incoherently about dinosaurs and climate change. But funny or not, Hanson and her Party are dangerous.

As managing editor Dave Donovan wrote:

Pauline Hansons chief of staff, the infamousJames Ashby, and PHONs number one Senate ticket holder in Queensland,Steve Dickson, revealed One Nation were prepared to sell-out Australian law-making to far rightwing American groups, such as theNRAand theKoch Brothers, in exchange for cold hard cash…

In the opinion of this publication, Pauline Hansons One Nation Party is both treacherous and treasonous, and must be wiped off the electoral map at the next Federal election likely to be held sometime in May. The fact the Party seems to be run these days by James Ashby aconvicted criminal, who IndependentAustralia has beenrepeatedly exposing since 2012and about whom we published a book merely reinforces the reprehensible nature of this organisation. Ashby is currently banned from Parliament House aftergetting into a fist fightwith a former One Nation Senator in the reception area.

SELLINGOUT AUSTRALIANS

It is not surprising that this Prime Minister would look to cosy up to the likes of Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson. This is the PM whose elevation to the role is dubious in itself.

Scott Morrison’s rise to fame began with him

… winning theseat of Cook for the Liberal Party, despite losing the pre-selection ballot 82 votes to 8, after the opposing candidate,Michael Towke, was disendorsed over allegations of branch-stacking and fraud. These claims were laterproven to be false, after a successful defamation action against theDaily Telegraphnewspaper.Suspicions lingerthat Morrison had run a dirty tricks campaign through the media to demonise Towke and parachute himself into the seat.

The culmination of Morrison’s ascensionis his “accidental” appointment as Leader of the Liberal Party and unelected Prime Minister, after successfully deposingMalcolm Turnbull.

ScoMo is the man who made a name for himself with his unconscionable hard line on refugees. A trophy proclaiming this “achievement” sits proudly in his office. Thisis the man who repeatedly voted against a banking royal commission. He is the man who refuses to deal with any of the allegations of corruption against his ministers, including the Paladin fiasco, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Murray-Darling Watergate scandal or Peter Duttons growing list of dubious dealings, to name but a few highlights.

Is it really surprising that a Party led by such a man would get into bed with the likes of Palmer and Hanson et al?

Thiseditorial wasoriginally publishedas part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter. These editorials are usually onlyavailable to subscribers and may be read online in the IAmembers only area.It can also be found here.

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