With a Coalition majority in the lower house but not in the Senate, the fate of the nation now lies in the hands of six Senators – three from South Australia, two from Queensland, and one from Tasmania. The two most populous states are not represented in this power block which will, for the next three years, have the power to pass or block every piece of legislation to come before the parliament.
Already, the smaller states are over-represented in the Senate. Tasmania has one Senator for every 43,500 people and South Australia, one for every 139,750 people. NSW has one Senator for every 666,000 people and Victoria one for every 531,600.
In both NSW and Victoria, Labor won more HoR seats than the Coalition (45 seats to 37) yet, when it comes to the Senators who will make the decisions, they are unrepresented. Likewise the territories, where all 5 seats went to Labor.
We are now in the hands of Pauline Hanson and the seriously weird Malcolm Roberts representing Queensland and the One Nation ‘policy’ agenda, Cory “slippery slope to bestiality” Bernardi and two Senators who represent a party which used to be called South Australia Best to push the SA agenda, and Jacqui Lambie who is fiercely Tasmanian and focused on veterans – a recipe for horse-trading.
These people will be under huge pressure for the entire term, without the assistance of the staff available to the major parties.
Are they capable of making decisions in the best interest of the nation as a whole? Will they use their position to get favourable treatment for their state or cause?
Time will tell whether spin and trinkets outweigh evidence-based decision making. It’s going to be a long three years for all of us but especially so for the six who will effectively rule the country.
Rex, Stirling and Jacqui, we are in your hands.
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