Senator Hume, who represents the Liberal Party, has been running advertisements, some in the Ensign, stating that Dr Haines (an Independent) has voted with Labor or the Greens 80 per cent of the time since being elected.
Dr Haines has also supplied statistics highlighting that she has voted with Labor 48 per cent of the time and with the Liberal/National Coalition 48 per cent of the time.
Of course, as the old saying goes, you can come up with statistics to prove anything.
Who you feel is correct will hinge on how you interpret the data.
And with a federal election just around the corner the political rhetoric will only increase until the last vote is counted and the election declared.
Many would argue that the benefit of an Independent is that they will not be voting along party lines, instead voting for what the electorate wants.
Whether that is true or not, is also open to interpretation.
Senator Hume is arguing that Dr Haines is voting along party lines, those parties being Labor or the Greens.
Both have released statements on the subject this week.
Senator Hume said for full transparency, she counts all votes every time the bells ring.
“It does not matter if it is legislation, amendments or a suspension of standing orders, we count all the votes, every single one,” she said.
“The truth is, in 2021 Helen Haines chose to side with Labor and the Greens on 80 per cent of the votes before the House.
“This is a big indication of who Ms Haines will side with in a hung parliament.
“For comparison, using the same metric, in 2018 Cathy McGowan’s votes in parliament were 50-50, demonstrating balance in her approach.”
Dr Haines’ statement had a different tone.
“It is so disappointing to see that the Liberal Party has yet again stooped to gutter politics in the campaign for the seat of Indi, using taxpayer funds to spread blatant misinformation about my voting record in local media,” she said.
“I am upfront about how I vote and the claims made by Melbourne-based Liberal Party Senator Jane Hume are a total distortion of the truth.
“As an Independent, I vote for Indi 100 per cent of the time. I review each new law on its merits, and work with our communities and all sides of politics to get the best outcomes for us every time.
“I update my website after every sitting period with the real facts on how I vote.
“That record is independently verified by the Parliamentary Library.
“Here are the facts. Since I’ve been in parliament, I’ve voted 285 times on new laws.
“I’ve voted with the Coalition 48 per cent of the time. I’ve voted with Labor 48 per cent of the time.
“And I’ve voted with neither of the major parties four per cent of the time.”
If you want to cut through the rhetoric and make up your own mind, you can look into who is voting for what in Canberra via www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Chamber_documents/HoR/Votes_and_Proceedings
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