All this fuss and bother over Senator Lambie’s secret deal is, in my opinion, just a storm in a teacup. There is a perfectly logical explanation as to what happened and all one has to do is look at the evidence.
The big giveaway was her reply when asked about the “ deal “ she did.
“I am voting for their repeal of medevac because I am satisfied that the conditions that led to medevac being passed aren’t the same as the conditions today,” Senator Lambie told Parliament.
“The world in which this vote takes place is different and I thank the Government for working productively with me to make sure of that.”
spelling corrected by me... .even though it is a quote
It seems to me that she demanded to know the details of the Intelligence and that the Government has on the people on Nauru and Manus and, in being granted this request, was told that she could not disclose the details of anything she viewed or learned.
She agreed and subsequently discovered the gravity of the situation and the real nature of some of the people who were seeking medical transfers to Australia.
On this basis, the statement by Government Senate Leader Mattias Cormann “Let me just make the most important point right upfront: There is no secret deal,” was entirely truthful.
The emphasis must be put, in my opinion, on the word “ deal”. Put it back on the word “ proposal ”.
She made a request and it was granted, on the proviso that she kept shtum and didn’t blab.
"I put to the government a proposal, and since then we have worked together really hard to advance that proposal. We've worked to an outcome I believe we both want, which is an outcome that our borders are secure, the boats have stopped and sick people aren't dying waiting for treatment," she said.
"As a result of that work, I am satisfied, I am more than satisfied that the conditions are now in place to allow medevac to be repealed.
"I thank the government for working productively with me to get that."
This explains her emotional speech in Parliament – I have seen many fake crocodile tears over my many decades of life and I can spot a faker at 50 yards.
These were no crocodile tears.
My feeling is that Senator Lambie requested a security briefing, was granted it and subsequently learned more than she bargained for.
Quite what she was told, we will probably never know. But it was sufficient for her to support the Government on a Policy that appears to be very close to her heart.
Her speech focussed on how the circumstances have changed since Medevac was passed…..
What the hell did she learn and how bad is it that she was moved to tears?
That, surely, is the question we should be asking.
Or, perhaps, like Senator Lambie, we would be moved to tears and regret ever having had our eyes opened.
Sometimes, when you ask a question, you risk an answer that perhaps you would prefer not have known……..
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