Australian Election - New Zealand born broadcaster Derryn Hinch is vowing to continue naming convicted sex offenders when he takes his place in the Australian senate.
Melbourne broadcaster Derryn Hinch, who was born in New Zealand, has won a spot in Australia's senate. Photo: Supplied / Facebook
Mr Hinch, whose nickname is the Human Headline, started his career in Taranaki, but is now best known across the Tasman for publicly detailing the criminal history of convicted sex offenders, for which he has spent time in jail.
"They know if I have to, I'll name and shame convicted sex offenders under parliamentary privilege.
"I think I'm the only person to get elected to parliament with a liver transplant and I'm 72 years old. I plan to be there for quite sometime. They'll know I'm there, let's put it that way."
He said he planned to continue his justice campaign, calling for the establishment of a national register of sex offenders.
"I've got 60,000 names on a petition for that. I've pushed that for three years," he said.
He also campaigned for a senate inquiry into the Family Court and child welfare agencies.
"Kids are being put into foster care who shouldn't be, kids are being taken out of foster care who shouldn't be.
"I had one of my candidates in Queensland, she has fostered 43 children. She said 'I won't take them anymore over the age of three, because by then they are too far gone'. That is an absolute inditement of this country," Mr Hinch said.
Other issues on his agenda included a ban on live exports and voluntary euthanasia.
Asked what he thought of the election result, Mr Hinch said he thought incumbent Malcolm Turnbull would get over the line.
"I thought he made an extraordinary bad winning speech last night, he sounded like he was launching his campaign, not ending it. You don't tell people we must unite - we need a united Australia - by shouting at them. I don't think that's the way to go. I'll deal with Shorten or Turnbull, whoever gets in."
But Mr Hinch said touring the country, he had labelled the election a Shakespearean election - a pox on both your houses.
"Both major parties are on the nose and there's a genuine feeling in many countries, we saw it with Brexit, you've seen it with Trump in the United States... but it's this feeling of 'we're sick of the status quo.'"
But he said his first promise as a senator was to listen.
"I've been a journo for 50 years. I'm no expert. I'll listen," he said.
"I'm going to have staff, I'll have experts, I'll listen to people and I'm not going to form instant opinions."
