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• Dutton ponders minority government deal with crossbenchers as Coalition outstrips Labor in latest poll
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On the upcoming election, Spender says “we need to see how this plays out” and that “it is very unclear exactly what [parliament] is going to look like in the end.”

On statements from Peter Dutton this morning that the Independents should back him in any minority government:

Yes, I’m sure that is what he thinks and it will depend on the numbers and the shape of the crossbench and what people are willing to negotiate and back at that time so I think we really need to look at it at the time.

In relation to climate, I haven’t worked with the Coalition because I don’t think they are committed to a transition in terms of the most cost-effective and frankly good for the climate transition that we have at the moment.

So my point is I take things on the basis of the arguments and on the basis of the evidence and I am very open to working with a coalition government and I’m open to working with the Labor government, but that depends on what they are actually going to put on the table.

What I want to see is good process, good parliamentary process where all of these issues are really fleshed out, where community can actually listen to the experts arguing about these laws so that we can get one answer that is going to get big money out of politics and make sure there is a level playing field.

Myself and I think others on the crossbench have approached decisions on parliament and how we vote and what we support really on the basis of what the evidence is saying. Is it in our long-term interests? What do our communities think? What are the experts think? Bringing that together, backing good ideas from all sides, working with all sides to try and get good policy through – that is how I will continue to behave whatever form the next parliament takes.