Having the occasional power of veto in the upper house is not a formula for unrestrained power

Based on the count so far, it is evident I have been elected to the NSW Legislative Council, the upper house of the NSW Parliament. This is the state equivalent of the federal Senate from which I resigned at the beginning of March.

Final numbers will not be known until April 12, but it is already clear that the Berejiklian government will require the support of most of the crossbench in order to pass contested legislation in the NSW Legislative Council. This will make it similar to the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison government that, since 2014, has required the support of most of the crossbench to pass legislation in the Senate.

I spent almost five years on the Senate crossbench, where my vote was regularly crucial in determining what passed. With my election to the NSW Parliament, I will be in a similar position for eight years. This is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

Unlike most other parties, the policies of the Liberal Democrats are based on principles rather than feelings. We believe the government should be our servant, not our master, and should largely keep its hand out of our pockets and off our backs.

In terms of regulation we subscribe to JS Mill’s famous harm principle: "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."

When I was first elected to the Senate in 2013 I declared I would never vote for an increase in taxes or a reduction in liberty. I expect to maintain that promise in the NSW Legislative Council. I will always vote for lower taxes, liberty over safety, the individual over the collective and personal responsibility over victimhood.