Jacqui Lambie might have the deciding vote

With the Labor-Green coalition against the bill and Queensland senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts expected to vote with the government there are three senators whose position is not known, Stirling Griff (Centre Alliance) and Rex Patrick (recently resigned from CA) and Jacqui Lambie from Tasmania, (CMM June 22).

Watchers of the red benches suggest Senator Patrick is expected to be a nay but Senator Griff does not now always vote with his former colleague. If he is also opposed it will be down to Senator Lambie (CMM August 19).

And the Tasmanian Division of the National Tertiary Education Union knows it. It took out an advert in Senator Lambie’s local paper, the Burnie-based Advocate, calling on readers “to block the bill”.