Media Release Senator Scott Ludlam 2 October 2013

The Greens are disappointed with the provisional result of the Western Australian Senate count.

Scrutineers have identified the result may have come down to a 14 vote margin and will likely require a recount before the final result is known.

Senator Ludlam has thanked the 124,000 people who voted Green in WA, and the Western Australian and national campaign teams for their work during the election campaign.

The Greens put housing affordability at the centre of the election campaign today with a plan to deliver 85,000 new rental homes and ease the pressure on Australian renters.

Greens housing spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam - who is also a renter - said the almost one in three Australians who rent have been ignored by the old parties.

"The old parties need to face the facts - Australia is now a nation of renters. There are 2.4 million households in one of the most stretched rental markets in the world. Renters shouldn't be treated like second class citizens.

Only the Greens stand in the way of Tony Abbott gaining absolute power of the parliament, Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said in Canberra today.

"I'm here today with all of the Greens' lead candidates to deliver the strong message that a vote for the Greens is a vote against Tony Abbott controlling the parliament."

Tempers were high during this session, as evidenced by unusually corrosive contempt from Foreign Minister Carr, as well as Senator Bishop’s spectacular tantrum which put Senator Doug Cameron’s tea in extreme danger. 

A strange sense of inevitability hung over proceedings, with all involved aware that this would be the last session with the present set of Government Ministers. 

Senator LUDLAM (Western Australia) (17:58): Obviously much of what Senator Parry has just presented is sensible and will contribute to the more efficient running of the chamber, but there is one matter that I do want to draw the chamber's attention to, effectively by way of a dissent to the procedures report that has just been tabled.

Each of the vignettes below gives you a window into a specific piece of the gargantuan and incomprehensible puzzle that is the Commonwealth Government. There are some good wins hidden here – the Perth Light Rail project may be on the threshold of a breakthrough, there are some pleasant surprises in the early uptake figures for the NBN, and SBS are over the moon at the funding boost we’ve been advocating for.

Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, and Senator Scott Ludlam, speak to the media at Senate doors about clean and renewable energy, sharing the benefits and creating strong environmental standards for the mining boom, Julian Assange's extradition order to Sweden, and food security in Australia.