Labor and the Greens have suspended democracy in South Australia, successfully gambling on the grubby self-interest of divided and undisciplined Liberals to turn the Legislative Council into a rubber stamp.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said the decision by Liberal MLC Terry Stephens to accept the Greens’ nomination to the presidency of the Legislative Council today was a slap in the face to South Australian voters who elected a crossbench to hold the balance of power.

“By engaging with the Labor-Green plot to suspend democracy, Mr Stephens has done South Australians a great disservice and effectively given Labor and Greens a free pass in the Legislative Council,” Senator Hanson said. “He’s also given himself a 75% increase in salary. How lucrative this plot has been for him!

“Government legislation now needs only the support of the Greens to sail through Parliament, and that’s most definitely not what the South Australian people voted for. They voted for a Legislative Council that would scrutinise, review and improve legislation instead of just giving it a rubber stamp.

“Apparently it was too much to expect the divided Liberals to act in the interests of the South Australian people, or even their own interests as an effective Opposition. It’s another example of how they put their own personal interests ahead of the interests of the South Australian people.

“It’s exactly this sort of approach which is leading increasing numbers of South Australians to support parties other than Labor, Liberals or the Greens. I worry for the future of South Australia under an unfettered Labor-Green government.”