Rex Patrick

Nothing in 2017 and nothing in 2021.

Rex Patrick, former South Australian independent senator, asked Jane Neum about five or six questions.

And she acknowledged that there was a list of targeted drugs and she refused to table it.

And so there's been virtually no discussion about this dramatic decline.

And here's where it gets spicy.

The Department of Industry is reportedly demanding that the applicant, former South Australian Senator Rex Patrick, cover its legal costs if he fights and loses.

Add in his own loyalty and he could be looking at up to $300,000.

Jeffrey Watson, the barrister who led the inquiry into CFMEU corruption, called it a bully boy tactic.

Somebody who's campaigned on this for a very, very long time said, He's campaigned on this and some of the issues to do with transparency so we actually know what's going on in government.

He's the former South Australian Senator Rex Patrick.

He's also, of course, a former submariner.

He knows submarines inside out, so he's got strong views on AUKUS.

But let's see what he thinks of all of this.

Rex Patrick, good evening to you.

Good evening and good evening to your listeners.

See, when I talk about this, over 30 years it's been going, so it pops up periodically.

The electoral reforms are already in place to commence from January, but there is a High Court challenge expected perhaps later this year or early next year.

The constitutional challenge is led by former independents Rex Patrick and Zoe Daniel.

It's specifically contesting aspects of the expenditure and donations caps on the grounds that they impermissibly burden the freedom of political communication.

Now, if that challenge is successful, the High Court could actually strike down the expenditure caps, possibly the donations caps and public funding too, if the court decides that these things can't be severed from each other.