Jacqui Lambie Rejigged The Same Christian Porter Inquiry Proposal She Only Just Voted Out
Last week, a similar bill was blocked by the Government with the help of Lambie.
Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has moved her own motion to start an inquiry into Christian Porter, less than a week after she helped shut down a similar commission by the Greens.
The proposal would set up a parliamentary committee to assess whether the former Attorney-General is still fit to serve his ministerial duties, after historic sexual assault allegations were made against him.
Tomorrow, I’m moving this. Unlike the other shots at setting up an inquiry, this is constitutional, it’s funded, it doesn’t trample of the separation of powers, it’s got terms of reference it can actually answer, and it’s actually able to pass and get moving. pic.twitter.com/YAhvJGboIl
— Jacqui Lambie (@JacquiLambie) June 22, 2021
It comes just days after Greens Senator Larissa Waters put forward a bill to independently investigate Porter, that was shut down by the Government — a move that she described as “very, very rare”. Lambie was criticised for voting against Waters on Wednesday, June 16.
“I’m not going to let this drop, the 90,000 people that signed that petition are not going to let this drop,” Waters said in response.
“By all means, go to the election with this as your position and I look forward to you being condemned to the dustbin of history on the opposition benches for many years to come.”
The government won the vote 33 to 30 with the votes of One Nation and Jacqui Lambie. Labor, and Rex Patrick voted with the Greens. My disappointment in @JacquiLambie could not be more profound. https://t.co/6jG7mEmrws
— marcus kelson (@marcuskelson) June 16, 2021
Jacqui Lambie is a worthless sell out.
That is all.
— Evalicious (@deliciouslybad) June 23, 2021
f*ck you Jacqui Lambie!
Your vote to block this critical inquiry is outrageous. #IStandWithKate #ChristianPorterInquiry #ChristianPorterAllegedRapist pic.twitter.com/jJQPOOIdmz— Janie ❥ (@CalamityJanie) June 16, 2021
Why did you not collaborate with #larissawaters on this?
— Em?Ψ. ENOUGH. (@elchsa) June 22, 2021
“Unlike the other shots at setting up an inquiry, this is constitutional, it’s funded, it doesn’t trample of [sic] the separation of powers, it’s got terms of reference it can actually answer, and it’s actually able to pass and get moving,” Lambie wrote on Twitter yesterday.
In the motion, the Tasmanian Senator referenced the Prime Minister’s Statement of Ministerial Standards, which states that Ministers “will be required to answer for the consequences of their decisions and actions”.
You have a few hours off the screen & this goes & happens. @JacquiLambie wants an inquiry. Just not on same terms as commission of inquiry proposed by @larissawaters. Fascinating. She’ll move it the day before 1st anniversary of Kate’s death, when people light #ACandleForKate. https://t.co/n5KZH6u8sx
— Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) June 22, 2021
Christian Porter discontinued his defamation suit against the ABC for reporting on the allegations against him at the end of May.