1. Saving farmers from union harassment (2018): As part of the backpacker tax negotiations, I saved farmers from union harassment by stopping the publication of the names and addresses of employers who employ foreigners on working holiday visas.

2. Stopping draconian enforcement of job-destroying wage regulation (2018): As part of the backpacker tax negotiations, I stopped the ATO passing the private financial information of taxpayers to the Fair Work Ombudsman, who would use the private information to enforce minimum wage, penalty rate and award wage compliance.

3. Stopping retrospective tax grab from small businesses (2018): I convinced the Government to agree to delay its retrospective clawback of a small business capital gains tax concession. This was in response to representations from taxpayers who stood to lose millions if the Government increased tax arising from transactions that occurred in the past.

4. Reform to online poker (2017): I won the Communications Minister’s commitment to pursue reform to enable online poker services to operate within Australia

5. Expanding Superannuation withdrawals (2017): I helped expand the circumstances in which you can withdraw your own superannuation, under the Government’s First Home Super Saver Scheme

6. Improving industrial relations (2017): I supported the ban on ‘corrupting benefits’ to union officials. My amendment blocked attempts to reverse the onus of proof or allow the Government to widen the ban by decree

7. Reducing the deficit (2017): I negotiated to remove childcare subsidies for families earning more than $350,000, saving $100 million over the first three years.

8. Protecting journalists (2017): In response to a written request to the Attorney General, I extracted a commitment to remove the offence of journalists disclosing information about the Australian Federal Police’s “controlled operations”, in instances where no-one is endangered and no operation is prejudiced.

9. Reducing red tape (2016): I established a Senate Select Committee on Red Tape to inquire into the effect of restrictions and prohibitions on business (red tape) on the economy and community.

10. Reducing red tape for farmers (2016): As part of the backpacker tax negotiations, I extracted a commitment from Government to: (i) stop the ATO passing taxpayer information to the Fair Work Ombudsman, who would use the information to enforce minimum wage, penalty rate and award wage compliance; and (ii) stop the publication of the names and addresses of employers who employ foreigners on working holiday visas. These two commitments are reflected in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Employer Register) Bill 2017.

11. Protecting freedoms and Government accountability (2016): As part of the negotiations over the Australian Building and Construction Commission, I achieved (i) the removal of a reverse onus of proof in the ABCC Bill, which had required employees to prove instances where there is an imminent risk to safety; (ii) the holding of open community forums by the ABC and SBS, including in regional areas, at no additional cost to taxpayers; (iii) a commitment from the Government to impose principles of openness in its federal courts dealing with suppression orders, and to promoting reform to suppression order regimes at the state level; and (iv) a commitment from the Government to report government spending and tax in real per capita terms, to demonstrate the expanding size of government.

12. Cost/benefit analysis on foreign ownership laws (2016): In 2016 I amended the bill that requires foreign owners to report their ownership of water rights so that a register of such foreign ownership of water rights can be published. The amendment requires the Productivity Commission to hold an inquiry within three years into the costs and benefits of the register and the associated imposition on foreigners. The amendment also requires the Productivity Commission to make recommendations on the issue. (see new section 34A of the Register of Foreign Ownership of Water or Agricultural Land Act 2015).

13. Protecting freedom of the press (2016): After I opposed the 2014 introduction of an offence for reporting on ASIO operations, and after I continued to put pressure on the Government on this issue throughout 2015, it agreed to wind back the offence for reporting on ASIO operations in 2016. Now there is no offence for a journalist reporting on ASIO’s ‘special intelligence operations’, provided that no-one is endangered and no operation is prejudiced.

14. Supporting recreational shooters (2016): In 2016 I secured a 50 year lease for the NSW Rifle Association to the ANZAC Rifle Range on Malabar Headland in Sydney. This followed significant pressure to eject shooters from a range, including decisions by the Supreme Court. The range has been used since the 1850s. There are 60,000 recreational shooters in Sydney, and this range is central to the future of shooting in NSW.

15. Lowering taxes (2016): After I lobbied a series of Assistant Treasurers, the Government agreed to remove the requirement that an individual must earn less than 10 per cent of their income from employment-related activities to be able to deduct a personal contribution to superannuation.

16. Reducing red tape on business (2015): In 2015 I delayed by 12 months the commencement of a burdensome law prescribing how contracts with small business must be written, to allow time for contracts to be re-written.

17. Establishing and chairing the inquiry into the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin plan (2015): I established an inquiry that examined the effect on regional communities of the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, making 31 recommendations.

18. Representing farmers (2014): I established an inquiry into agricultural levies, which found that farmers were paying a lot but had very little say over the payment or its use. The inquiry recommended that, among other things, information on levy payers and the amount they paid should be provided to Research and Development Corporations so that two-way communication between levy payers and those who spend the levies can improve. The Government accepted the recommendation and passed such a law in 2016.

19. Establishing the inquiry into the governance of wind turbines (2014): I established an inquiry into the governance of wind turbines. In 2015 the inquiry recommended that research be undertaken to fill the current gap in research regarding personal impacts from the nearby operation of wind turbines, and that a commissioner be appointed to ensure such concerns are investigated. I lobbied the Government on behalf of the crossbench, which agreed to the recommendations, appointed a commissioner and commissioned research.

20. Stopping government-sanctioned torture (2014): I forced the Government to amend its own national security law that would have allowed ASIO to torture people.

VOTING FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

I voted against Labor and the Greens when they attempted to:

• retain taxpayer subsidies to public university students;

• prevent a plebiscite on same sex marriage;

• retain the Education Investment Fund;

• block withholding the dole for 8 weeks from someone who refuses suitable work;

• prevent abolition of the Preventative Health Agency;

• prevent cutting the dole for jobseekers under 25, increase waiting periods for welfare and freeze welfare indexation;

• prevent requiring more independent directors on superannuation boards; and

• prevent allowing foreign ships to regularly service Australian ports and allow Australian ships to pay staff less when competing for international voyages.

I voted with Labor and the Greens when they attempted to:

• stop the $5 increase in the passenger movement charge and stop the Direct Action Plan/Emissions Reduction Fund.

• prevent the injection of an additional $5 billion into Commonwealth school funding, given that school funding does not drive school performance.

• block mandatory sentencing for certain crimes