New WA upper house features increased Greens and crossbench influence

ABC NEWS (Australia)

WA's new-look upper house has officially been sworn in as Greens and crossbench MPs prepare to wield some influence. Back in the lower house, the government hit out at the Opposition for teaming up with the Nationals in an attempt to revoke part of the state's new firearms regulations.

Transcript

00:00Walking to the beat of their own drum and into a new era.

00:09The WA Greens now entering Parliament with four members, not just one.

00:14Yeah, very exciting and really great not to be the lone person in the Parliament anymore

00:19but to have these great people join us.

00:21The party returns to the Upper House with the balance of power,

00:24ending Labor's total control of State Parliament.

00:27New Greens MLC Sophie McNeil adding pressure on climate and foreign affairs.

00:33Choosing to wear a traditional Palestinian kefir before her swearing in,

00:37she said to make a statement.

00:39Any slight position of privileged power like we are lucky enough to have here in our Parliament

00:44should be standing with the people of Gaza and against this genocide.

00:47The Greens are joined by an increased crossbench of members from One Nation,

00:52the Animal Justice Party, Australian Christians and legalised cannabis.

00:56Labor will have to negotiate with all of them to push legislation through.

01:01Look, I think we're all committed to doing the best that we can for all West Australians.

01:05While it was all smiles in the Upper House, it was business as usual in the Legislative Assembly.

01:10The government on the attack over the opposition's support of a disallowance motion

01:14to quash part of the government's firearms regulations.

01:18The motion was voted down.

01:19The Leader of the Opposition, who was too afraid to speak in that debate,

01:25too afraid in three hours of debate, too afraid to speak on that debate,

01:30and then just followed, followed the Leader of the National Party.

01:35This disallowance motion was an opportunity for us to say to the government,

01:39these are the parts that aren't working in these regulations,

01:42we've listened to the community, we're communicating that now to you.

01:45Down to business in the Lower House while ushering in a new order in the Upper House.

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