Tony Abbott looks like he will have to make a few deals to get his legislation through the Senate. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA Source: AFP
AS COUNTING continues in the Western Australia Senate election, voters are finally getting an idea of who will have the upper hand in Canberra.
The Liberal and Labor parties are still fighting over the final seat, but what is clear is that Prime Minister Tony Abbott will have to deal with the smaller parties in order to get some of his signature legislation through, such as abolishing the carbon and mining taxes.
If the Liberals manage to secure the final seat in Western Australia, the Coalition would need six extra votes to get their legislation through.
So what will support from the cross benchers cost them? Here's our guide to horsetrading in the Senate:
Tony Abbott will have to deal with Clive Palmer to get his legislation through the Senate. Picture: Sam Mooy Source: News Limited
PALMER UNITED PARTY
Current position: Millionaire Clive Palmer's party will be a major player in the Senate as it will hold three seats, and will also benefit from an alliance with the Motoring Enthusiast Party. This means the Coalition will have to deal with Mr Palmer if Labor and the Greens block its legislation.
Mr Palmer has said he would support the repeal of the carbon and mining taxes but the party's position is not as clear cut as it seems.
What will his support cost? Mr Palmer has said he wants the repeal of the carbon tax to be retrospective and was recently exposed for not paying his carbon tax bill on time.
He has also said he would veto the repeal of the mining tax if it meant welfare payments to the children of dead or injured war veterans were scrapped.
The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's Victorian Senate Candidate Ricky Muir, is likely to pick up a seat, despite initiatiing a kangaroo poo fight on video.
AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY
Current position: Victorian senator Ricky Muir has formed an alliance with the Palmer United Party, but has yet to confirm his position on the carbon and mining taxes.
What will its support cost? In a recent interview Mr Muir, who is arguably best known among voters as the politician who filmed himself throwing kangaroo poo, gave voters an insight into his priorities.
"I'm a four-wheel driver, so if I go out to the bush, I see tracks getting closed down," he said. "It is quite personal to me. I would like to see the bush stay open. I would also like to see it respected. I don't expect the bush to be kept open for people to make a mess of it. We definitely want some balance."
He said the party's main platform was road safety but he was also opposed to anti-hoon legislation.
NICK XENOPHON
Current position: The South Australian senator doesn't support the carbon tax but does not like the government's "direct action" plan either because both are inefficient and wasteful.
"I support the model developed by leading economic think-tank Frontier Economics that I commissioned jointly in 2009 with then Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull," Mr Xenophon said on his website.
"This scheme rewards low-emission industries while punishing high-emission industries."
Mr Xenophon has also said that he would like to sit down with the environment minister to work out a more sensible approach.
What will his support cost? When asked recently what demands he might make in exchange for his support, Mr Xenophon said: "pokie reform is at the core of what I do".
"The Abbott opposition was pretty miserable on that … poker machine reform has to be very much on the agenda."
Senators Nick Xenophon and John Madigan some of their personally commissioned, and paid for, Australian-made Parliament House crockery set. Picture: Strange Ray Source: News Limited
DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY
Current position: Senator John Madigan has said in the past that he backs the removal of the carbon tax but not the Coalition's direct action policy as he was worried it could be rorted. However, he later said, he was uncomfortable talking about which way he plans to vote and would decide issues on an individual basis.
He also wants to keep the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the $10 billion fund established as part of the carbon tax package to provide loans for efficient energy and clean energy technology.
What will its support cost? The senator is a passionate campaigner for Australian manufacturing and jobs and would like to see free trade agreements reined in. He also wants restrictions on foreign ownership of land, housing and industries.
One of the most interesting ways he has expressed this was by teaming up with Mr Xenophon in February to buy a $11,000 Australian-made 750-piece crockery set for the Parliament House dining room. The plates replicated the design of the current plates but were made in Victoria, not the United Arab Emirates.
Senator David Leyonhjelm believes people should be able to carry guns. Photo: Steve Pohlner Source: News Limited
LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Current position: NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm and his party supports the removal of carbon and mining taxes but does not support the Coalition's direct action plan.
"The Liberal Democratic Party believes there will be far less misery if society is simply encouraged to adapt to a changing climate, allowing market responses to proceed and providing support to any people or countries that are genuinely adversely affected," the party's website says.
What will its support cost? Mr Leyonhjelm wants the public to be able to carry guns and said it would help tackle shootings in Sydney. The party believes in social libertarianism and supports free speech including changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. It also believes Australians pay too much tax and is opposed to government censorship of books, video, games and the internet.
The party supports assisted suicide, gay marriage, privatisation of higher education, free trade and an end to government ownership of businesses including ABC, SBS, Australia Post, Medibank Private, electricity generation and public transport services.
Family First's Bob Day will likely support the Coalition on "most issues". Source: News Limited
FAMILY FIRST
Current position: South Australian senator Bob Day is likely to support repeal of the mining and carbon taxes but believes the Coalition's direct action plan is a waste of money.
He said in September 2013 that he would be more likely to align himself to the Coalition than Labor or the Greens, "on most issues".
What will its support cost? Mr Day has said he would fight to allow employers to pay workers below the minimum wage and for changes to unfair dismissal laws.
According to its website, the party believes in supporting infrastructure projects such a roads as well as Australia's defence capabilities. It also supports business, free markets and jobs.
But its previous candidates have expressed controversial stances on gay marriage and abortion. In South Australia, the party has lobbied for a mandatory warning for women using the abortion drug RU486.
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