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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'No animosity': Greens accept senator's defection
The federal Greens are taking the sudden defection of one of their senators to Labor on the chin, saying they have no animosity toward her. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth on Monday, West Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced she was quitting the Greens to sit with Labor in the upper house. The surprise move is a setback for the minor party, which has now lost its only Indigenous representative after losing three of its four lower house seats in the May federal election. Leader Larissa Waters said she received a phone call from Senator Cox an hour before her press conference with Mr Albanese. "We had a very calm and measured conversation about it, and I do genuinely wish her all the best," she told the ABC on Tuesday. "There's no animosity there. It's obviously disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator, but Dorinda has said her values lie there." But Senator Waters appeared to question this while pointing to Labor's decision to extend the North West Shelf gas project off the West Australian coast, which she said would impact ancient Indigenous rock art. "Those values are not consistent with Greens values," she said. "We've opposed that. But Senator Cox has made her decision that that party is a better fit for her, and we wish her nothing but the best." Asked about Senator Cox becoming the second Indigenous woman to quit the Greens - after now-independent senator Lydia Thorpe - Senator Waters said they had "very different reasons" for leaving. "The Greens remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations," she said. Senator Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, joined the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. In 2024, she suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But on Monday, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. While she was not required to run in the May election after winning a six-year term in 2022, Senator Cox reportedly had concerns about her likely position on the WA Greens senate ticket going into the 2028 poll. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, approached him about the switch. Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Labor will still require the support of either the Greens or the coalition in the Senate to pass legislation. The federal Greens are taking the sudden defection of one of their senators to Labor on the chin, saying they have no animosity toward her. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth on Monday, West Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced she was quitting the Greens to sit with Labor in the upper house. The surprise move is a setback for the minor party, which has now lost its only Indigenous representative after losing three of its four lower house seats in the May federal election. Leader Larissa Waters said she received a phone call from Senator Cox an hour before her press conference with Mr Albanese. "We had a very calm and measured conversation about it, and I do genuinely wish her all the best," she told the ABC on Tuesday. "There's no animosity there. It's obviously disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator, but Dorinda has said her values lie there." But Senator Waters appeared to question this while pointing to Labor's decision to extend the North West Shelf gas project off the West Australian coast, which she said would impact ancient Indigenous rock art. "Those values are not consistent with Greens values," she said. "We've opposed that. But Senator Cox has made her decision that that party is a better fit for her, and we wish her nothing but the best." Asked about Senator Cox becoming the second Indigenous woman to quit the Greens - after now-independent senator Lydia Thorpe - Senator Waters said they had "very different reasons" for leaving. "The Greens remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations," she said. Senator Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, joined the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. In 2024, she suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But on Monday, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. While she was not required to run in the May election after winning a six-year term in 2022, Senator Cox reportedly had concerns about her likely position on the WA Greens senate ticket going into the 2028 poll. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, approached him about the switch. Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Labor will still require the support of either the Greens or the coalition in the Senate to pass legislation. The federal Greens are taking the sudden defection of one of their senators to Labor on the chin, saying they have no animosity toward her. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth on Monday, West Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced she was quitting the Greens to sit with Labor in the upper house. The surprise move is a setback for the minor party, which has now lost its only Indigenous representative after losing three of its four lower house seats in the May federal election. Leader Larissa Waters said she received a phone call from Senator Cox an hour before her press conference with Mr Albanese. "We had a very calm and measured conversation about it, and I do genuinely wish her all the best," she told the ABC on Tuesday. "There's no animosity there. It's obviously disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator, but Dorinda has said her values lie there." But Senator Waters appeared to question this while pointing to Labor's decision to extend the North West Shelf gas project off the West Australian coast, which she said would impact ancient Indigenous rock art. "Those values are not consistent with Greens values," she said. "We've opposed that. But Senator Cox has made her decision that that party is a better fit for her, and we wish her nothing but the best." Asked about Senator Cox becoming the second Indigenous woman to quit the Greens - after now-independent senator Lydia Thorpe - Senator Waters said they had "very different reasons" for leaving. "The Greens remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations," she said. Senator Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, joined the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. In 2024, she suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But on Monday, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. While she was not required to run in the May election after winning a six-year term in 2022, Senator Cox reportedly had concerns about her likely position on the WA Greens senate ticket going into the 2028 poll. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, approached him about the switch. Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Labor will still require the support of either the Greens or the coalition in the Senate to pass legislation. The federal Greens are taking the sudden defection of one of their senators to Labor on the chin, saying they have no animosity toward her. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth on Monday, West Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced she was quitting the Greens to sit with Labor in the upper house. The surprise move is a setback for the minor party, which has now lost its only Indigenous representative after losing three of its four lower house seats in the May federal election. Leader Larissa Waters said she received a phone call from Senator Cox an hour before her press conference with Mr Albanese. "We had a very calm and measured conversation about it, and I do genuinely wish her all the best," she told the ABC on Tuesday. "There's no animosity there. It's obviously disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator, but Dorinda has said her values lie there." But Senator Waters appeared to question this while pointing to Labor's decision to extend the North West Shelf gas project off the West Australian coast, which she said would impact ancient Indigenous rock art. "Those values are not consistent with Greens values," she said. "We've opposed that. But Senator Cox has made her decision that that party is a better fit for her, and we wish her nothing but the best." Asked about Senator Cox becoming the second Indigenous woman to quit the Greens - after now-independent senator Lydia Thorpe - Senator Waters said they had "very different reasons" for leaving. "The Greens remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations," she said. Senator Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, joined the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. In 2024, she suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But on Monday, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. While she was not required to run in the May election after winning a six-year term in 2022, Senator Cox reportedly had concerns about her likely position on the WA Greens senate ticket going into the 2028 poll. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, approached him about the switch. Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Labor will still require the support of either the Greens or the coalition in the Senate to pass legislation.
West Australian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- West Australian
'No animosity': Greens accept senator's defection
The federal Greens are taking the sudden defection of one of their senators to Labor on the chin, saying they have no animosity toward her. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth on Monday, West Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced she was quitting the Greens to sit with Labor in the upper house. The surprise move is a setback for the minor party, which has now lost its only Indigenous representative after losing three of its four lower house seats in the May federal election. Leader Larissa Waters said she received a phone call from Senator Cox an hour before her press conference with Mr Albanese. "We had a very calm and measured conversation about it, and I do genuinely wish her all the best," she told the ABC on Tuesday. "There's no animosity there. It's obviously disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator, but Dorinda has said her values lie there." But Senator Waters appeared to question this while pointing to Labor's decision to extend the North West Shelf gas project off the West Australian coast, which she said would impact ancient Indigenous rock art. "Those values are not consistent with Greens values," she said. "We've opposed that. But Senator Cox has made her decision that that party is a better fit for her, and we wish her nothing but the best." Asked about Senator Cox becoming the second Indigenous woman to quit the Greens - after now-independent senator Lydia Thorpe - Senator Waters said they had "very different reasons" for leaving. "The Greens remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations," she said. Senator Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, joined the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. In 2024, she suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But on Monday, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. While she was not required to run in the May election after winning a six-year term in 2022, Senator Cox reportedly had concerns about her likely position on the WA Greens senate ticket going into the 2028 poll. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, approached him about the switch. Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Labor will still require the support of either the Greens or the coalition in the Senate to pass legislation.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
'No animosity': Greens accept senator's defection
The federal Greens are taking the sudden defection of one of their senators to Labor on the chin, saying they have no animosity toward her. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth on Monday, West Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced she was quitting the Greens to sit with Labor in the upper house. The surprise move is a setback for the minor party, which has now lost its only Indigenous representative after losing three of its four lower house seats in the May federal election. Leader Larissa Waters said she received a phone call from Senator Cox an hour before her press conference with Mr Albanese. "We had a very calm and measured conversation about it, and I do genuinely wish her all the best," she told the ABC on Tuesday. "There's no animosity there. It's obviously disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator, but Dorinda has said her values lie there." But Senator Waters appeared to question this while pointing to Labor's decision to extend the North West Shelf gas project off the West Australian coast, which she said would impact ancient Indigenous rock art. "Those values are not consistent with Greens values," she said. "We've opposed that. But Senator Cox has made her decision that that party is a better fit for her, and we wish her nothing but the best." Asked about Senator Cox becoming the second Indigenous woman to quit the Greens - after now-independent senator Lydia Thorpe - Senator Waters said they had "very different reasons" for leaving. "The Greens remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations," she said. Senator Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, joined the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. In 2024, she suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But on Monday, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. While she was not required to run in the May election after winning a six-year term in 2022, Senator Cox reportedly had concerns about her likely position on the WA Greens senate ticket going into the 2028 poll. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, approached him about the switch. Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Labor will still require the support of either the Greens or the coalition in the Senate to pass legislation.
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Bombshell defection boosts Labor's majority in Senate
Labor has extended its parliamentary dominance even further following a Greens senator's shock defection. Dorinda Cox announced her decision on Monday while standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Perth. The defection represents a further setback for the Greens after losing three seats at the federal election, with Senator Cox only informing party leader Larissa Waters about an hour prior to the announcement. The Yamatji-Noongar woman was elected to the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. Despite having last year suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. "I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge, I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country." Senator Waters said the party was disappointed but wished Senator Cox well. "Senator Cox has said that her values align with the Labor party. This is the same Labor party who this week approved the climate wrecking North West Shelf gas project, which UNESCO advises will destroy significant First Nations heritage and ancient rock art," she said in a statement. "Senator Cox would have had more chance of effecting change by continuing to work with the Greens in the sole balance of power." Senator Cox, who was a member of the Labor Party before joining the Greens, will be formally admitted into Labor on Tuesday. She was not required to run in this year's federal election as she was elected for a six-year term in 2022. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, had approached him about the switch and would be a welcome addition to the government benches. "She wants to be part of a team that's delivering progress for this country by being a part of a government that can make decisions, to make a difference," he said. "Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development." Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Senator Cox said improvements for Indigenous people would be more achievable within the government than from the crossbench. "I made that (decision) based on some deep reflection," she said. "It was one that I considered both at a professional level, but also at a personal level. So this wasn't a decision that I did on the hop or based on emotion." Pressed on her previous opposition to the project, Senator Cox said she did not want to comment on the issue as the extension was still being provisionally approved. Senator Cox last year accused the Albanese government of being complicit in "war crimes" carried out by Israel in Gaza. Labor still requires the support of either the Greens or the coalition to pass legislation despite gaining a 29th senator. Labor has extended its parliamentary dominance even further following a Greens senator's shock defection. Dorinda Cox announced her decision on Monday while standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Perth. The defection represents a further setback for the Greens after losing three seats at the federal election, with Senator Cox only informing party leader Larissa Waters about an hour prior to the announcement. The Yamatji-Noongar woman was elected to the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. Despite having last year suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. "I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge, I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country." Senator Waters said the party was disappointed but wished Senator Cox well. "Senator Cox has said that her values align with the Labor party. This is the same Labor party who this week approved the climate wrecking North West Shelf gas project, which UNESCO advises will destroy significant First Nations heritage and ancient rock art," she said in a statement. "Senator Cox would have had more chance of effecting change by continuing to work with the Greens in the sole balance of power." Senator Cox, who was a member of the Labor Party before joining the Greens, will be formally admitted into Labor on Tuesday. She was not required to run in this year's federal election as she was elected for a six-year term in 2022. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, had approached him about the switch and would be a welcome addition to the government benches. "She wants to be part of a team that's delivering progress for this country by being a part of a government that can make decisions, to make a difference," he said. "Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development." Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Senator Cox said improvements for Indigenous people would be more achievable within the government than from the crossbench. "I made that (decision) based on some deep reflection," she said. "It was one that I considered both at a professional level, but also at a personal level. So this wasn't a decision that I did on the hop or based on emotion." Pressed on her previous opposition to the project, Senator Cox said she did not want to comment on the issue as the extension was still being provisionally approved. Senator Cox last year accused the Albanese government of being complicit in "war crimes" carried out by Israel in Gaza. Labor still requires the support of either the Greens or the coalition to pass legislation despite gaining a 29th senator. Labor has extended its parliamentary dominance even further following a Greens senator's shock defection. Dorinda Cox announced her decision on Monday while standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Perth. The defection represents a further setback for the Greens after losing three seats at the federal election, with Senator Cox only informing party leader Larissa Waters about an hour prior to the announcement. The Yamatji-Noongar woman was elected to the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. Despite having last year suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. "I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge, I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country." Senator Waters said the party was disappointed but wished Senator Cox well. "Senator Cox has said that her values align with the Labor party. This is the same Labor party who this week approved the climate wrecking North West Shelf gas project, which UNESCO advises will destroy significant First Nations heritage and ancient rock art," she said in a statement. "Senator Cox would have had more chance of effecting change by continuing to work with the Greens in the sole balance of power." Senator Cox, who was a member of the Labor Party before joining the Greens, will be formally admitted into Labor on Tuesday. She was not required to run in this year's federal election as she was elected for a six-year term in 2022. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, had approached him about the switch and would be a welcome addition to the government benches. "She wants to be part of a team that's delivering progress for this country by being a part of a government that can make decisions, to make a difference," he said. "Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development." Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Senator Cox said improvements for Indigenous people would be more achievable within the government than from the crossbench. "I made that (decision) based on some deep reflection," she said. "It was one that I considered both at a professional level, but also at a personal level. So this wasn't a decision that I did on the hop or based on emotion." Pressed on her previous opposition to the project, Senator Cox said she did not want to comment on the issue as the extension was still being provisionally approved. Senator Cox last year accused the Albanese government of being complicit in "war crimes" carried out by Israel in Gaza. Labor still requires the support of either the Greens or the coalition to pass legislation despite gaining a 29th senator. Labor has extended its parliamentary dominance even further following a Greens senator's shock defection. Dorinda Cox announced her decision on Monday while standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Perth. The defection represents a further setback for the Greens after losing three seats at the federal election, with Senator Cox only informing party leader Larissa Waters about an hour prior to the announcement. The Yamatji-Noongar woman was elected to the upper house in 2021 to fill a Greens vacancy and had been the party's Indigenous affairs spokesperson. Despite having last year suggested the Albanese government was "not interested" in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Senator Cox said she felt her values and priorities were better aligned with Labor than the Greens. "I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters. "I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge, I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country." Senator Waters said the party was disappointed but wished Senator Cox well. "Senator Cox has said that her values align with the Labor party. This is the same Labor party who this week approved the climate wrecking North West Shelf gas project, which UNESCO advises will destroy significant First Nations heritage and ancient rock art," she said in a statement. "Senator Cox would have had more chance of effecting change by continuing to work with the Greens in the sole balance of power." Senator Cox, who was a member of the Labor Party before joining the Greens, will be formally admitted into Labor on Tuesday. She was not required to run in this year's federal election as she was elected for a six-year term in 2022. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, had approached him about the switch and would be a welcome addition to the government benches. "She wants to be part of a team that's delivering progress for this country by being a part of a government that can make decisions, to make a difference," he said. "Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development." Senator Cox was accused of bullying Greens staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving in three years and complaints made to parliament's workplace support service. Mr Albanese said the allegations had been examined. "They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately," he said. Senator Cox said improvements for Indigenous people would be more achievable within the government than from the crossbench. "I made that (decision) based on some deep reflection," she said. "It was one that I considered both at a professional level, but also at a personal level. So this wasn't a decision that I did on the hop or based on emotion." Pressed on her previous opposition to the project, Senator Cox said she did not want to comment on the issue as the extension was still being provisionally approved. Senator Cox last year accused the Albanese government of being complicit in "war crimes" carried out by Israel in Gaza. Labor still requires the support of either the Greens or the coalition to pass legislation despite gaining a 29th senator.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
New Zealand swears in new deputy prime minister
ACT Party Leader David Seymour has been sworn in as New Zealand deputy prime minister. Photo: AAP WELLINGTON: David Seymour, leader of the libertarian ACT New Zealand party, was sworn in as deputy prime minister on Saturday (May 31), taking the role from Winston Peters in a deal struck when the three-party coalition government was formed in 2023. His party was behind last year's controversial move to enshrine a narrower interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi that it says discriminates against non-Indigenous citizens, though the bill failed in parliament. Seymour was appointed in a ceremony at Auckland's Government House, a spokesperson told Reuters. ACT New Zealand is the junior partner in the centre-right ruling coalition that also includes the Peters-led New Zealand First and the National Party, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. In parliament since 2014, Seymour will retain the role of regulation minister, tasked to assess rules in the Pacific nation of 5.3 million and keep the position of associate minister of health, finance, and education. Seymour has also driven efforts to legalise euthanasia, voted to legalise abortion in 2020 and attended a pro-Hong Kong democracy protest in Auckland in 2019. ACT New Zealand wants a smaller role for government and a bigger role for free markets, it says on its website. - Reuters
