me thinks John voted for "One Nation" John the Libs have softened their language about all of the cross benches they have actually learnt something. ie it hard to get someone to vote for your policies if you just spent time telling everybody else their crazy.

One nations views haven't change much since she was last in, only instead of Asians it's Muslims, and instead of the liberals having a good margin in parliament they have a slim one. So have a re-read about what the Libs said about her party last time around and see what is relative, and remember that Tony spend some of his own money chasing her out of Parliament.

“It is never easy, of course, to read the collective 'electoral mind'.”

That’s because it doesn’t exist. In reality, each person has their own mind. The body politic is only a metaphor, and so is the alleged collective electoral mind.

“The right to free speech brings with it the right to be heard and, in present circumstances, also the obligation to be taken seriously,”

No it doesn’t.

“at least in respect of those matters of rational concern.”

That only begs the question what matters are of rational concern.

“The acquisition of Australian farms, businesses and infrastructure by foreign interests, particularly by sovereign funds”

These two short articles will correct your economic misunderstanding:
"A Negative Railway": http://mises.org/daily/5201/
and
"Must Free Trade Be Reciprocal?": http://mises.org/daily/6193/Must-Free-Trade-Be-Reciprocal

“the lack of discernment between foreign investment that brings with it new capital, creates new business and more jobs and the acquisition of established enterprises with profits going overseas;”

Ho hum, more economic ignorance, for curing which, see:

“Man, Economy and State” by Murray Rothbard
http://mises.org/Books/mespm.PDF

“Human Action” by Ludwig von Mises
http://mises.org/Books/humanaction.pdf

Hanson’s popularity, like Trump’s, reflects a widespread dissatisfaction with the business-as-usual of politics in general, and the major party duopoly in particular.

However their policies in general, and economic policies in particular, are substantially the same.

This is because all their assumptions about the nature of government are the same. They assume government to be a kind of benevolent if somewhat blundering institution, or some kind of social management tool if somewhat liable to mysterious capture by corrupt interests.

As theories of what government is, these are really not much better nor worse than the divine right of kings, or the currently fashionable lunatic idea that it’s a kind of large-scale thermostat.

While ever there is this confusion about what the state is and is not, we will continue to suffer the same plague of ignorant ambitious demagogic sociopaths masquerading as social leaders.

(Hint: it’s the legal monopoly of force and threats, dummy:
https://mises.org/sites/default/files/Anatomy%20of%20the%20State_3.pdf)

Well she was a former fish shop owner and small business owner. To suggest this is a derogatory term is a very long bow, when in fact it is her history, and defines her level of business acumen.

I think the point being made is, does that then fit her to represent a state, in our nation's capital?

And should we encourage bigots to represent a minority view as blockers rather than movers or person of uncommon vision able to unite the country, as opposed to tearing it asunder?

She claims to be concerned about fundamentalists getting into the parliament the country etc, yet is more fundamental in her own rigid views than those she critiques? All that has changed is the target of her xenophobia?

It's going to be a long three to four years, maybe?
Alan B.

As long as we have are arrogant know-alls like Jardine K Jardine we will have rabble rousers like Pauline Hanson

Old Man - Now try saying something constructive about the issue, and people may listen to you.

The elite political class with the likes of Obama, Turnbull and Shorten and left wing media are largely responsible for Hanson's popularity. Turnbull repeats political mantra like Islam is a religion of peace despite people every day seeing what a joke that statement is. The elite political class were very popular in France not to long back. They now even persist with their idiotic ideology despite their people being treated like cattle.

People might have been dumbed down by decades of socialist education but are not so dumb as to see what is happening in front of their noses every day. They also realise that not all white men commit dv. In fact far more black men do. Not all women are innocent angels. In fact the feminaza are cruel ugly and bad for society.