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NEW Nationals MP Luke O’Sullivan has spoken of his frustration at not being able to set up office, employ staff or be a voice for northern Victoria.
He says the people of northern Victoria will not have a voice in state parliament, after the state government blocked the swearing in of its new representative.
Mr O'Sullivan has been selected by the Nationals to replace Damian Drum in the Northern Victoria upper house spot, after Mr Drum successfully made the switch to federal politics at the July election, winning the seat of Murray.
“I can’t commence representing the people of northern Victoria until I’ve been sworn into parliament,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
"In effect I won’t be able to set up an office, I won’t be able to employ any staff, I won’t be able to get an email address, and most disappointingly, I won’t be able to represent the people of northern Victoria, which I have been selected to do by the Nationals.
“I am very concerned about the CFA scenario and the way that’s been handled, and if there was to be a vote come into parliament in relation to the attack on the CFA I won’t be able to vote to stand up for the CFA.”
Labor voted against holding a joint session after Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings was suspended for six months from the upper house earlier this year for failing to provide documents, some of them cabinet-in-confidence.
Mr O’Sullivan doubted he would be able to enter parliament until the end of the year, having been told he would be sworn in once Gavin Jennings had returned.
“There will be a range of scenarios play out in terms of trying to ensure northern Victorians do get the representation they are obliged to have,” he said.
The debate over the joint sitting dominated much of Parliament's time on Wednesday, and after the upper house agreed to hold a joint sitting, Labor used its numbers in the lower house to crush the plan.
Liberal frontbencher Mary Wooldridge said it was a dark day for the upper house.
"This is basically a nasty and vindictive decision by Daniel Andrews," she said.
The government said Coalition claims of the move being undemocratic were hypocritical. It signalled that if Mr Jennings were reinstated the joint sitting could go ahead.
Premier Daniel Andrews denied the move was childish.
"I think we are very keen to have a joint sitting where the Leader of the Government in the upper house [Mr Jennings] is there, and this is entirely a matter for the upper house and the Liberal Party and others to deal with,' Mr Andrews said.