Nationals senator Matt Canavan questions if government and agencies can be trusted on hate speech laws and attacks Sussan Ley
In short:
The Coalition split with Nationals Leader David Littleproud earlier singling out Sussan Ley for criticism.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan backed Mr Littleproud's leadership of the party.
Senator Canavan said new hate-speech laws give too much power to agencies like ASIO.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan has delivered the message to Australians that they should not trust governments, as he railed against what he says are hate-speech laws that gift the government and federal agencies too much power.
During an appearance on 7.30, Senator Canavan also threw his full support behind National Party leader David Littleproud and excoriated Liberal leader Sussan Ley after the Coalition split.
The senator didn't deny that he encouraged the split or fought against the laws, but also laid out his fears about the power it gives government agencies.
"I don't want a law which seeks to ban almost all sorts of organisations or potentially could, because I think it could be open to abuse," he told 7.30.
"In terms of individual groups, I want any ban to go through a proper investigation. This law doesn't do that.
"It doesn't ban Hizb ut-Tahrir; it sets up a process that could potentially do that.
"To ban an organisation, it is very serious, and we should have very, very tight frameworks about taking such a serious step to deny Australians their freedom that is guaranteed under the constitution of association and political communication."
Senator Canavan said that even if the group could only be banned following ASIO advice, he believed the laws could still be abused.
Matt Canavan has questioned whether the new hate speech laws could be abused by future ASIO chiefs. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)
While he said current ASIO director-general Mike Burgess appeared to be a "decent guy", he feared future directors could be manipulated by the government of the day.
"I and others in the National Party are worried that … we are setting up a law for life, there is no sunset clause.
"ASIO director-general is a political appointee that any new government can just appoint."
Asked if this meant he felt a future ASIO boss may "go rogue" and be a puppet of the government, the senator said:
"I don't trust governments.
"Who would?
"I don't trust them, and I work with them every day," he told 7.30.
"I tend to operate under the view that when you give broad powers like this, you shouldn't be trusting anyone. There should be protections in the act."
'Never been prouder' to be a National
Senator Canavan then turned his attention to the Coalition split, and while he was full of praise for Mr Littleproud, he joined his party leader in blaming Ms Ley for the split.
David Littleproud announcing his party would quit the Coalition. (AAP Image: Darren England)
"I think he has done an excellent job," he said of Mr Littleproud.
"I have never been prouder to be a member of the National Party. We did our jobs this week on behalf of the Australian people."
Asked if he encouraged his party members to walk away from the Coalition, Senator Canavan told 7.30 that he hoped he had been "influential", but in his eyes, one person was to blame.
"I was able to make those points to the National Party," he said.
"This is the first time in my 11.5-year career that we have been in Canberra for a sitting, and we didn't have a joint partyroom meeting.
"I didn't have the liberty to express my views to my Liberal colleagues.
"It was unwarranted and unprecedented."
Ley to blame
Senator Canavan said the Nationals went through the bill line-by-line before formulating their decision not to back it, which was something he said Ms Ley could not abide.
Sussan Ley came under attack from both David Littleproud and Matt Canavan. (ABC News)
As a result senators Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell all sent letters to Ms Ley via Mr Littleproud, announcing their resignations on Wednesday morning.
Five other Nationals frontbenchers followed on Wednesday night.
"She has decided that she doesn't want the people who voted, according to the National Party position," Senator Canavan said of Ms Ley.
"She has the view that she can't have people in her ministry who have a view on this act that restricts people's freedom of speech. If that is the view of her, we can't serve with her because it is our position.
"The consequence is it [the Coalition] is no more."
Earlier today, Ms Ley said she would not be drawn on the issue due to the National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi terror attack.
"My responsibility as leader of the opposition and leader of the Liberal Party is to Australians in mourning," she said via a statement.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers had described the fallout as "shameful".
"They can't help themselves. This three-ring circus, which is the Coalition now, they're so exclusively focused on internal politics that they can't see what's really important here … that we unite in grief and in resolve and in solidarity," Mr Chalmers said.
Senator Canavan said he believes it is not something that will hurt the Nationals.
"I am not a drama queen about it," he told 7.30.
"We will be right.
"I feel like we have fought and stood up for people this week.
"If we keep doing that, the ballot box and politics will take care of itself."
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