[LoudPipes]

A bit of an update on the Motoring Enthusiast Senator.

How Senator Ricky Muir could save or sink the Abbott government's final sitting week of 2014

Date: 2 December, 2014
Mark Kenny
Chief political correspondent

One of the nation's lowest profile politicians is emerging as a possible linchpin in delivering the Abbott government a key victory, but has gone to farcical lengths to avoid the spotlight.

With most right-wing crossbenchers beginning to line up behind the government's university deregulation reforms, the little-known Victorian rookie, the Motoring Enthusiast Party's Ricky Muir, is said to be inclined towards supporting the plan.

The media-shy senator finally emerged into the light outside Parliament House on Tuesday to help launch the Parliamentary Friends of Motoring group but refused to declare a position.

Under pressure from a large gaggle of press gallery journalists, he would only discuss motoring issues in a media scrum that threatened to descend into embarrassment.

"Senator, are you scared of us?" one reporter asked as Senator Muir retreated from the fourth estate. Liberal MP Fiona Scott, who was also at the launch, berated the media for their persistent questioning.

For 15 minutes the senator refused to answer questions on his position on the government's higher education bill or whether he was still aligned with the Palmer United Party. As reporters followed him, Senator Muir smiled throughout.

Afterwards he only said, he was still making up his mind on university policy.

Senator Muir had been a quarter of the Palmer United Party bloc before it disintegrated last month and has laid low ever since.

Fairfax Media understands some in the government are cautiously optimistic of convincing the publicity-shy Senator Muir, but uncertainty surrounds almost every aspect. His voting record is insufficiently extensive to provide useful guidance as to his likely attitude, and he is yet to even make his official first speech as a senator.

The former timber mill worker was elected in 2013 on a tiny primary vote of 0.51 per cent. He shot to fame when a video emerged showing the senator throwing kangaroo faeces at friends. He also gained notoriety after a car crash interview on Seven's Sunday Night program.

His support would get the government within striking distance of success, potentially rescuing an unproductive end of the year for the Coalition, which has been stymied on some $28 billion of budget measures.

But getting to a majority of 39 votes still looks problematic, should a final vote take place this week. Education Minister Christopher Pyne needs six of the eight crossbenchers but has not secured the backing of senators Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon, Dio Wang and Glenn Lazarus.

Others such as Victoria's John Madigan have come on board, joining senators David Leyonhjelm and Bob Day.

Senator Lambie has left no doubt as to her attitude, aggressively describing the reforms as class warfare aimed at disenfranchising working class kids to further advantage the privileged.

"I believe his [Senator Muir's] vote will be critical in order to defeat this radical plan to increase the cost of university degrees," she told the Senate on Monday night.

"I ask that before he votes, Ricky consider the tens of thousands of children who come from working class backgrounds who will never be given the opportunity to better themselves and improve their lot in life through a university education because the Liberals' costs will scare them and stop them ever dreaming of a university degree.

"This legislation is deliberately designed to keep working class people in their place."

The outspoken Tasmanian was also highly critical of Mr Pyne for attempting to drive the reforms through the Senate this week.

She likened him to a "dodgy used car salesman from Western Sydney" trying to flog "a lemon".

The government cannot say when it will bring the bill to a vote because it has been blind-sided in the Senate by Labor tactics.

Meanwhile, Senator Leyonhjelm has lashed out at the government for its poor handling of the crossbench senators.

He said relationship building occurred only when the government wanted their votes.

The senator said Labor was much better at it, suggesting if the ALP was in power, he would have "probably two or three best friends" by now who would have made it their business to get to know him and would be familiar with what he wanted to get done.

"They're like teenage kids," he said of the Coalition leadership in the Senate. "They only contact you when they want some money or [to] borrow the car".

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/how-senator-ricky-muir-could-save-or-sink-the-abbott-governments-final-sitting-week-of-2014-20141202-11yaow.html