We've done the Mad Monk to death, and the Turncoat is getting more than an occasional serve, but no Jacqui thread...

I'll state my position, up front, so that we can concentrate on the subject. I'm a traditional red-ragger, trade union activist and greenie: I've voted for radical socialists.

But, as far as I can see, Jacqui cannot be neatly classified as liberal, conservative or socialist. Of course, I'm largely dependent on "the media" for information, and "the media", initially, treated her as a bit of a giggle, but no longer. This woman has proven to be a very savy tactition, and has the knack of being able to state the bleeding obvious while others beat about the bush.

I will be interested to see who the folk are that stand with Jacqui Lambie at the next election.

Based on her policy positions, Senator Lambie is a populist, pure and simple. Listen to what the average bloke down at the pub has to say about a Federal issue and they'd likely have the same position as she does.

She's a decent 'sniff test' check for legislation as it passes through the Senate. I don't think she'll have the charisma and drive to get anyone with her elected alongside though. Same goes for Senator for Victoria Ricky Muir.

To be a real "Popularist", I think you have to be fairly sophisticated and form your views based on keeping a close ear on what people who live in the country and less trendy areas of the cities are thinking. I'd describe someone like Nigel Farage of UKIP as a Popularist.

Jackie Lambie is not that sophisticated, nor is she that calculating. But she is a typical representative of the battlers, the less wealthy, less educated, less sophisticated people who make up the majority of the population. People of her ilk don't necessarily understand the need to tackle the "big issues" like tax reform, free trade agreements, labour market reform, etc. By contrast, both the ALP and the Libs do understand that issues like those may not be popular with the masses in the short term, but they will be of great benefit to Australia in the medium and long term. To their credit, both the big parties bite the bullet and get on with things like that.

But the mere presence of people like Lambie in the Senate is a good reminder to the big parties, both dominated by trendy sophisticates and both influenced by intellectuals and think tanks, that they can't get overly detached from ordinary people, the battlers. So while her thoughts and policies may not be overly developed or run through think tanks and opinion pollsters, what she says is vastly closer to being the authentic "voice of the people" than the thoughts of anyone who has got through the preselection processes of the Labour or Liberal parties and been elected to parliament under their franchises.

She is just Pauline Hanson with one more brain cell.

Pauline was a defrocked Liberal, a radical conservative with, for my money, no redeeming features, and no future in politics.

Jacqui began as a PUP, and may well be the only one of the PUPs to have a political future. In some (but only some) respects she reminds me of Brian Harradine.

Independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says she is not likely to vote for the Federal Government's revised welfare cuts.

The Government introduced the plans to Parliament on Tuesday after scaling back some of the tougher Family Tax Benefit (FTB) cuts proposed in the 2014 budget.

The Coalition would need the support of six of the eight crossbench senators if the Opposition does not vote in favour of the FTB overhaul.

Senator Lambie said the proposals do not do enough to tax the super rich.

"[Opposition families spokeswoman] Jenny Macklin, it nearly blew me away today when she stood up and she said this is a win," Senator Lambie said.

"You are still hitting the most vulnerable people in society."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-22/jacqui-lambie-not-in-favour-of-revised-welfare-legislation/6874942

But the mere presence of people like Lambie in the Senate is a good reminder to the big parties, both dominated by trendy sophisticates and both influenced by intellectuals and think tanks, that they can't get overly detached from ordinary people, the battlers.

Although we've hardly heard from Ricky Muir since his election I did hear him make some intelligent comments about the reforms to the dole. He basically said that when he was young he had to rely on the dole occasionally and that if it hadn't been there he would have been homeless.

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Whatever many may think of Jacqui Lambie, she has done far more to assist some of the major industries and employers in Tas, than any of the useless major party seat warmers. A good example is the assistance she provided to the General Manager of my employer - one of the main manufacturing industries in the south of the state.

Our G.M. tried for ages, to arrange through various Govt MHR's and Senators to get meetings with the Infrastructure Minister and P.M. about the Freight Equalisation Scheme, which has a major impact on the product we ship out of the state. He got nothing but stuffed around and platitudes from the Govt reps. However upon contacting Jacqui, he got a meeting with her straight away and soon after that, he got his long sought after meetings with Truss and Abbott.

Our G.M. was quite impressed by her intelligence and grasp of the issues (not an attribute common amongst Tasmanian politicians). He did however, question her loyalty to Rob Messenger, who seems to be the source of most of the outrageous pronouncements that tend to get attributed to Jacqui. If anyone could be described as a "nutcase", it's Rob Messenger, rather than Jacqui.

Tasmanians tend to vote "below the line" more than anyone else in the country and tend to support "identities" regardless of party affiliation, so I wouldn't be so quick to write off her electoral prospects, especially considering the widespread disenchantment in the major parties.

Whatever many may think of Jacqui Lambie, she has done far more to assist some of the major industries and employers in Tas, than any of the useless major party seat warmers. A good example is the assistance she provided to the General Manager of my employer - one of the main manufacturing industries in the south of the state.

Our G.M. tried for ages, to arrange through various Govt MHR's and Senators to get meetings with the Infrastructure Minister and P.M. about the Freight Equalisation Scheme, which has a major impact on the product we ship out of the state. He got nothing but stuffed around and platitudes from the Govt reps. However upon contacting Jacqui, he got a meeting with her straight away and soon after that, he got his long sought after meetings with Truss and Abbott.

Our G.M. was quite impressed by her intelligence and grasp of the issues (not an attribute common amongst Tasmanian politicians). He did however, question her loyalty to Rob Messenger, who seems to be the source of most of the outrageous pronouncements that tend to get attributed to Jacqui. If anyone could be described as a "nutcase", it's Rob Messenger, rather than Jacqui.

Tasmanians tend to vote "below the line" more than anyone else in the country and tend to support "identities" regardless of party affiliation, so I wouldn't be so quick to write off her electoral prospects, especially considering the widespread disenchantment in the major parties.

Excellent outcome and I think this is a classic example of independents doing what they do best. They are able to get closer to the people in many ways than mainstream or at least able to act on your concerns more. Then being in a position of influence she is then able to get the ear of the PM or certainly others that matter.

While I generally vote for mainstream, I never want to see a house full of them and I think perhaps the govt works best when it doesn't have control of the upper house.

Personally I don't think too many sitting members are genuine idiots, after all it does take some balls to spend your own money campaigning, meet people around the clock, listen, listen to their hard ache stories as well as their crap and quit your job to take a seat knowing in 3 - 6 years you could be unemployed and in many cases no fault of your own.

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Brian Harradine managed to get re-elected for decades and he was batsh*t crazy... don't underestimate the capacity of Tassie voters to send someone like that to Canberra, they love their underdogs.

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Brian Harradine managed to get re-elected for decades and he was batsh*t crazy... don't underestimate the capacity of Tassie voters to send someone like that to Canberra, they love their underdogs.

Well every state draws their politicians from the local populace, maybe that says something about Tassie.

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Brian Harradine managed to get re-elected for decades and he was batsh*t crazy... don't underestimate the capacity of Tassie voters to send someone like that to Canberra, they love their underdogs.

Well every state draws their politicians from the local populace, maybe that says something about Tassie.

So what does that say about that populist show-boater Xenophon and South Australia!

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Brian Harradine managed to get re-elected for decades and he was batsh*t crazy... don't underestimate the capacity of Tassie voters to send someone like that to Canberra, they love their underdogs.

Well every state draws their politicians from the local populace, maybe that says something about Tassie.

So what does that say about that populist show-boater Xenophon and South Australia!

You could say the same about Clive Palmer and Queensland, although the Queensland people may be offended by that. And rightly so.

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Brian Harradine managed to get re-elected for decades and he was batsh*t crazy... don't underestimate the capacity of Tassie voters to send someone like that to Canberra, they love their underdogs.

Well every state draws their politicians from the local populace, maybe that says something about Tassie.

So what does that say about that populist show-boater Xenophon and South Australia!

You could say the same about Clive Palmer and Queensland, although the Queensland people may be offended by that. And rightly so.

Yes, we have a specific look to our most successful crazy pollies...
(That's the Brisbane skyline, I should update it to parliament house...)

I m surprised she does not bark at the moon

Don't get me started on NX, easily taking out the award for being hugely popular whilst being totally useless.

Lambie is firmly in the nut case camp, don't rattle her cage and she'll struggle to get 10% of a quota when she's up for re election.

Brian Harradine managed to get re-elected for decades and he was batsh*t crazy... don't underestimate the capacity of Tassie voters to send someone like that to Canberra, they love their underdogs.

Well every state draws their politicians from the local populace, maybe that says something about Tassie.

So what does that say about that populist show-boater Xenophon and South Australia!

You could say the same about Clive Palmer and Queensland, although the Queensland people may be offended by that. And rightly so.

Clive actually holds a holds a House of Reps. seat in Queensland, that's no mean feat for the average loony.

Clive is no average loonie - he's a filthy rich loonie, and that does make him very different.

And, let's not forget that it was largely his money that saw Jacqui elected in the first place.

It is a major weakness of the Australian electoral system - and those of a majority of Western electoral systems - that it requires a lot of money to get elected. Friends in "the media" help a lot, too.

You could say the same about Clive Palmer and Queensland, although the Queensland people may be offended by that. And rightly so.

Clive actually holds a holds a House of Reps. seat in Queensland, that's no mean feat for the average loony.

Clive is also worth how much???

So to have a seat in any state govt outside Tas and be worth around $1B (self made I believe) is not the profile of an idiot, although he is the centre of his own universe.

Don't get me started on NX, easily taking out the award for being hugely popular whilst being totally useless.

I might have accidentally helped elect Ricky Muir, how do you think I feel !

I voted below the line in the last federal election, oh boy what a mistake that was. There was a hundred and something nobodies running for the Victorian senate positions and I had to give each and every one of them a number. By the end of of it I was almost crying with boredom, I couldn't even tell you who I actually voted for after the fist thirty or forty - single issue 'parties' I'd never heard of like the 'Bullet Train for Australia Party', 'Citizens Electoral Council', 'Pirate Party'... it just went on and on seemingly forever.

I'm sure I probably gave Ricky Muir a number somewhere below 100, 'Motoring Enthusiasts Party' probably sounded more friendly than 'Shooters and Fishers' and 'Climate Sceptics'.  Do you think I could have contributed to his election? I don't know.

Clive is no average loonie - he's a filthy rich loonie, and that does make him very different.

And, let's not forget that it was largely his money that saw Jacqui elected in the first place.

It is a major weakness of the Australian electoral system - and those of a majority of Western electoral systems - that it requires a lot of money to get elected. Friends in "the media" help a lot, too.

By definition its a populist system and hence those who have more funding will spread their views and profile around alot more.

Living in the system of UAE/Dubai with its benevolent monarchy with ultimate power and elected committee which is an advisory board at best, I see benefits of both systems and the down sides. Our system isn't perfect but its not bad for a developed multi cultural western based society. I think most of the "improvements" suggested are rarely popular as I think our population is conservative and any change introduces risk.

Living in the system of UAE/Dubai with its benevolent monarchy with ultimate power and elected committee which is an advisory board at best, I see benefits of both systems and the down sides. Our system isn't perfect but its not bad for a developed multi cultural western based society.

Like 350 lashes for an elderly foreigner who made the mistake of brewing his own beer.

Like 350 lashes for an elderly foreigner who made the mistake of brewing his own beer.

That was in Saudi Arabia which is ruled by a government with a wahibist / salifist approach to Islam.

The Sunni denominations widely practiced in the UAE are much more moderate.

Saying they are both Sunni is like saying that the Westbrough Baptist Church and the Australian Uniting church are both Protestant. Technically that's true, but their approaches to life and faith are vastly different.

Like 350 lashes for an elderly foreigner who made the mistake of brewing his own beer.

That was in Saudi Arabia which is ruled by a government with a wahibist / salifist approach to Islam.

The Sunni denominations widely practiced in the UAE are much more moderate.

Saying they are both Sunni is like saying that the Westbrough Baptist Church and the Australian Uniting church are both Protestant. Technically that's true, but their approaches to life and faith are vastly different.

All that may be true, however I view any government that proposes to administer 350 lashes to a 60 something person as barbaric.