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Quirky pollies not a bad thing: Abbott

Tony Abbott is holding off on making a decision on Senate reform until the final results are in, "quirky" characters and all.

Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott is holding off on making a decision on Senate reform until the final results are in. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Tony Abbott says it's not necessarily a bad thing to have "quirky" characters elected to the Senate, but he'll hold judgment on whether electoral reform is needed.

Preference flows could result in a handful of candidates from minor parties entering parliament despite attracting only a few thousand votes.

One candidate who could be elected is Ricky Muir, an unemployed father of five from the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party (AMEP).

A YouTube video apparently shows Mr Muir involved in a kangaroo poo-throwing fight.

Mr Abbott says he'll treat all members of parliament with respect and courtesy - and he expects that to be a two-way street - as he works to scrap the carbon tax and mining tax.

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"Elections do sometimes throw up quirky and interesting characters. That's not always a bad thing," the prime minister-elect told the Nine Network on Tuesday.

He says it's important for the system to produce a strong and stable government and he'll await a parliamentary report on the election before deciding if he's open to Senate reform.

"Let's wait and see what the final result is, then let's wait and see what the joint standing committee comes up with," he said.


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