Hanson, Hinch to get briefings

Two of the Senate's new crossbenchers, Pauline Hanson and Derryn Hinch, have been offered briefings with Treasury over the state of the nation's books.

One Nation's Pauline Hanson

New Senate crossbenchers Pauline Hanson and Derryn Hinch have been offered briefings with Treasury. (AAP)

New Senate crossbenchers Pauline Hanson and Derryn Hinch have been offered Treasury briefings, but they differ over whether Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has a mandate.

"I think he just fell over the line by a nose. The people didn't particularly want Liberal or Labor," Ms Hanson told Seven.

Mr Hinch said despite the close result, Mr Turnbull had the mandate to "introduce any legislation he likes at all".

After a week of counting, the coalition has 74 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives and Labor 66 seats, with five seats still too close to call.

It is likely to include five crossbenchers in the lower house and as many as 19, including Ms Hanson and Mr Hinch, in the Senate.

Mr Turnbull after claiming victory on Sunday, eight days after the election, said it was "vital that this parliament works".

Ms Hanson said she was yet to hear from Mr Turnbull, who said during the election campaign that she would not be welcome back in parliament.

But Ms Hanson said she was prepared to work in the best interests of the country.

"We are all elected to the parliament as leaders of this nation to look at what is the best to introduce as legislation and laws for the people. That's what I will be looking at," she said.

But she also believed she had a mandate to pursue her policies, which include a royal commission into Islam.

Cabinet minister Julie Bishop said the government looked forward to working with Ms Hanson in the new parliament but cautioned it was the coalition that had won the election.

"We campaigned on a number of election promises. We have an obligation and a responsibility to honour those promises," she told the Seven Network.

"These who were elected on a much narrower platform ... they are entitled to continue to promote those issues and negotiate with the government."


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2 min read
Published 11 July 2016 8:40am
Source: AAP


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