Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget: Who was responsible for the Howard Government’s latest blow to democracy?

As most of you would have heard, the Howard Government’s new media laws passed through the parliament this week.

Most independent commentators see these media laws as a major blow to the diversity of information and opinion that fuels our democracy. Australia already has the most concentrated media ownership in the world.

After much discussion, the laws passed through the Senate with the support of the Liberal Party, the National Party and Family First. The legislation was opposed by The Greens, the ALP and the Democrats.

The vote of Family First’s single senator (Steve Fielding from Victoria) was crucial here: Barnaby Joyce - one of the National Party senators who had concerns about the package – crossed the floor on a number of proposed amendments to the legislation, but Family First voted with the Coalition senators to defeat these. At the final vote, Joyce indicated that there wasn’t much practical point in him crossing the floor, because the Family First vote would clearly ensure that the legislation would pass anyway.

So, it’s an opportune moment to remind ourselves of who it was that ensured that Family First was elected to the Australian parliament.

Hint: it was due to the preferences of two of the three parties that voted against the media legislation in the Senate. If they hadn’t given their preferences to Family First, Howard’s media laws would have been defeated this week.

Read exactly how Family First were elected in Victoria here: Me First