Xenophon says vote not for sale
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Water a priority for Nick Xenophon (file photo) (ABCNews)
South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon has used his maiden speech to Federal Parliament to declare that his vote is not for sale.
Senator Xenophon says issues at the top of his agenda include the state of the Murray-Darling Basin, abolition of poker machines and maintaining funding for the CSIRO.
But he says he will not get involved in horse-trading to achieve his goals.
"Horse-trading implies a willingness to vote for something you don't believe in in order to get something you want," he said.
"When people do try and horse-trade they can end up with a donkey, or worse still end up making an ass of themselves."
Senator Xenophon says the dire condition of the nation's major river system is the biggest crisis Australia faces.
He says its deterioration is a failure of federation.
"For more than a century state governments have put parochial interests above the national interest and allowed this once-great river system to be drained to death's door," he said.
"We know from the High Court's decision on WorkChoices the extent of Commonwealth power.
"That power should be used for the good of the entire [river] system and the communities that depend on it for their survival."
Senator Xenophon says he will continue to fight he started while in the SA Parliament to rid Australia of poker machines.
"My message to the Prime Minister is simple - I want to work constructively with him and his Government and the crossbenches and the opposition to eradicate this scourge from our suburbs, as well as internet gambling from our lounge rooms," he said.
