Pauline Hanson is no stranger to shocking the Senate.<\/p>\n
This time, however, there were no outfit reveals like her widely condemned burqa offering of 2017, but rather a surprise nomination for a man who, politically at least, sits at the opposite end of the spectrum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I would like to nominate David Pocock,” the One Nation leader said, putting forward the independent to be president of the Senate.<\/p>\n
Perhaps what was more shocking was what followed \u2014 a man turning down the chance at a pay rise and political promotion.<\/p>\n
“I am very flattered that you would put me forward,” a surprised Pocock told the chamber.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
David Pocock declined the nomination to be President of the Senate.\u00a0 (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)<\/p>\n
‘Politely decline the nomination’<\/p>\n
Wearing a jacket and no tie, Pocock noted that as much as he disagreed with the bulk of the conventions in the Senate, this was an instance in which he would uphold it, and focus his time representing the people of the ACT.<\/p>\n
“I would politely decline the nomination but thank you,” he said before returning to his seat on the crossbench.<\/p>\n
The scale of Labor’s election victory brought with it gains in the Senate that will see the ALP become the biggest party. It also stripped Pocock of the key vote he previously held in the last parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having quietly returned to his seat, across the parliament, the father of the House was finding his voice, even if it wasn’t necessarily being sought. \u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bob Katter stood alongside his fellow crossbenchers when he took his oath of office. (ABC News: BRENDAN ESPOSITO)<\/p>\n
Allegiance to the Australian people<\/p>\n
Bob Katter stood alongside his fellow crossbenchers as House of Representatives clerk Claressa Surtees asked the MPs to swear their allegiance to King Charles, his heirs and successors.<\/p>\n
“No, I swear allegiance to the Australian people,” Katter said, before repeating it a second time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Labor cabinet ministers Anika Wells, Clare O’Neil and Tanya Plibersek react to Bob Katter’s allegiance comments.\u00a0 (ABC News: BRENDAN ESPOSITO)<\/p>\n
It was far from the first time a politician had gone off script.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the last parliament, senator Lidia Thorpe initially described the Queen as a coloniser. At the time she was forced to recite the oath as written. Years later she would claim that she had sworn her allegiance to the Queen’s “hairs”, not “heirs”.<\/p>\n
This time, no hairs were split over Katter’s comments and the pomp and circumstance carried on.\u00a0<\/p>\n