Well, that's a rant.

I don't agree with what Xenophon did in revealing the priest's name, he should not have disregarded the alleged victim's wishes under those conditions, and I'm not sure what he thought he would achieve for anybody involved by taking that action.

You are stretching a long and disagreeable bow in claiming that Hepworth is "tainted" by Xenophon's actions. Hepworth isn't "tainted" by anything. He's the alleged victim of alleged rapist, he's the proven victim of two dead rapists, and he's now been disempowered yet again by Xenophon's complete disregard of his wishes. Now you want to pile on the insults by describing him as "tainted" by another man's ill advised actions. Have you no decency, sir?

Xenophon is "no more a crusader for justice than you or I?" I've crusaded for justice all my life so you can count me out of that presumptuous statement.

Xenophon did a very ill-advised thing. But he's got a very, very long way to go before he comes anywhere near Gillard's ill-advised actions, not to mention Abbott's. So why single him out for your self righteous wrath?

Personally, I would have gone in harder. Xenophon has corralled the Victim Lobby and is using them as a battering ram to get publicity. How long do we have to put up with this sort of stuff?

Xenophon only has Hepworth's word. No testimony. No evidence. Now he has trammelled Demspey's name. Xenophon is way out of his depth with this one. The ambassador from Victim Nation should go.

He is a minor politician whose stunts have served him well in getting elected. Now he is an embarrassment.

Malcolm, Your "opinion" piece is a complete crock! Xenophon is a hero here in SA. We see him as just about the only honest broker on the policital scene. Of course as a professional political spin doctor for the Labor Party you must find him absolutely intolerable - but that just adds to his appeal in my opinion.

And by the way, as someone born into a Scientologist family I fully support his trying to shine a light on the "Church" of Scientology!

There are very few people with integrity in the federal Parliament; Xenophon is one of them.
The use of the label 'populist' is a dead giveaway - the cheap, unthinking jibe for someone who stands outside the mainstream of corrupted politics.
'Nor now is he a friend of the Catholic Church'. And thank god for that. Is there anybody with any brains or moral fibre who is such a friend?
This PR flack blames Xenophon for not addressing a range of pressing issues. But Xenophon is not in government. Perhaps the author might harangue the Government and the Opposition benches on their neglect.
Xenophon is a member of the Senate Economics References Committee. The Committee members from the three major Parties are all subject to Party dictates (inhibiting genuine reform), whereas Xenophon takes an independent position - for example, on the excessive power of the Big 4 banks within the finance sector.
Xenophon's fault is that he is not part of any controllable Party machine, in which catering to the vested interests is the name of the game and spin is the vehicle for its obfuscation.
Let's have more Nick Xenophons please.

Xenophon should not have used 'trial by parliamentary privilege' to name the alleged abuser however I have to agree with the gist of comments made by posters like briar rose,michael and evan.

The parliament needs more Nick Xenophons with a bit of guts and integrity to stand up to corruption and to truly represent the views of his constituents. He was the only voice opposing poker machines being introduced into SA despite the cries of NO from the public at that time. I can see why some might not like Xenophon, he shows most politicians up for what they are - party-line driven hacks who are influenced by factors other than the wishes of their constituents.

"Xenophon is a hero here in SA. We see him as just about the only honest broker on the policital scene."

Who is this "We"? Neither I nor any SAussie I've spoken to in the last 2 days regards Mr X as a hero; "coward" is more our take.