The budget is, traditionally, one of the most important votes an MP or Senator will see in a term. It determines where vital taxpayer money is spent and shapes the future of the nation. Last term, the government's budget shocking failed in the Senate after then-ALP Senator dyljam voted against it, in what was reported to be linked to a failure to gain a Greens endorsement in the NT seat of Lingiari.

This term, however, the fate of the budget seemed much clearer. Despite one seat remaining seemingly vacant, the government holds 5 seats to the opposition's 2 in the Senate, so barring a catastrophic turnout failure, the budget seemed certain to pass into law. Indeed, no CPA members actually spoke against the budget in either the House or the Senate. While senior government ministers such as PM Gregor_The_Beggar and Attorney-General model-putrid (whom CPA members have twice attempted and failed to condemn in Parliament), as well as CLP Senator Lady_Aya both spoke proudly in favour of the budget in a Senate debate, the opposition was completely absent.

Perhaps the most shocking thing, however, is that leader of the Commonwealth Party buttsforpm not only failed to debate on the budget, but failed to cast a vote on the budget at all, with the only CPA Senator who voted against the budget being Western Australian senator Chi0121. Indeed, buttsforpm has not publicly referenced the budget at all, instead focusing lately on a percieved lack of government support after flooding in New South Wales.

When reached for comment, model-putrid told Pitchfork News expressed serious concern about the opposition leader's failure to vote, calling the CPA "a joke of an opposition". She added that "they just aren't showing up for you - in Denison, their MP didn't show up once and had to be kicked out. In Brisbane, their MP's spent half the term on leave and still barely shows up to 50% of votes. I am proud that, as a Senator, I have always showed up for the people of Gippsland and never missed a vote, and no member of the Socialist Party has missed more than 10% of votes."

DirtySaiyan, the MP for Brisbane who model-putrid referenced, has a 58.33% voting record in Parliament, and also failed to vote on the budget. In addition to missing the budgetary vote, buttsforpm also failed to vote on a division on the same day for a bill to lower the voting age to 16.

- Alison Brooks, Pitchfork News