“Money talks in politics,” Senator McKim said.

He later said corporate influence on politics had to end because big corporations were buying the outcomes of both governments in Australia at state and federal level.

“We have seen particularly with the Liberal government, that corporations exert far too much power and influence with decisions, they basically buy outcomes with massive donations,” Senator McKim said.

“The corporate interest is driving not only ecological degradation and a loss of environmental sustainability, but it is also driving massive wealth inequality where to fewer people have to much of the wealth and too many people don’t get their fair share.”

Senator McKim spoke about the recent leadership spill including Peter Dutton’s treatment of asylum seekers in his previous role as minister for immigration and border protection.

He told other Greens party members that Labor would make a deal with anyone in the senate.

He noted that Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson was the one who pushed to get the banking royal commission up.

“If anyone is asking you why you need the Greens in the Senate, I advise you to give them that example as the number one reason,” Senator McKim said.

He said the main thing they aimed to do was look after the state because Tasmania was under threat.

“It’s beautiful eco systems, it’s wilderness, it’s coastlines are undertreat of death of a thousand cuts with everything from the expansion of massive industrial fish farms, proposals to develop lodges and hut complexes in our wilderness and world heritage areas...”

He said there was also the Cambria Homestead Precinct project on the East Coast that was getting a lot of community backlash.

“Part of what we will be doing is working with local communities to try and protect the places that they love.”

He said he was confident he could hold the seat but would need every vote.