The author misses the point by a long way here. Nick gets votes becuase he cares about stuff. He gives people a voice and sometimes that's all people want..To be heard, to be listened to.
Most party hacks are cardboard cutouts.

I'm not so sure this is a criticism of Senator X or whether it is a criticism of Adelaide.

Senator X has had a free ride in the media so far but one must wonder whether after holding the balance of power in the Senate for three years, what he has achieved.

In Adelaide, Senator X is like a knight from the Round Table. Lauded, praised and feted. I tend to think that in 'Adders' that the real story lies not in Senator X but how the City of Churches is going to survive with a basket case economy which adds less that six percent to GDP.

Malcolm, if you don't like Senator X, then perhaps you should put your money where your mouth is and stand against him at the next election.

David

I live in Adelaide as well, Senator X is a very cunning operator with the media, if he feels he will score with the public on some issue that he knows will tug at their heart strings then the media are brought in to report it, we all then say what a good boy Senator X is for doing just that, but if he feels that perhaps he will not get mileage out of some issue then he ignores that particular issue, in other words he vets all of his issues, if there is no political gain for me then forget it.
Like the letter writer I am extremely cautious where Senator X is coming from.

I couldn't disagree more with this article.

Having lived in Adelaide, with many friends still resident, and knowing the issues that led Senator X to be so popular, the article misses a big point. Adelaide did not have pokies until much later than the other states and Adelaide people did not want them (by and large). Despite various discussions over the years pokies stayed out until more strident influences led to legalisation of pokies despite the majority of public resistance. A real democracy...Not.

Senator X won on this issue alone and in his pursuit of issues largely ignored by other politicians and parties.

"Senator Xenophon uses the media to draw the audience over to his personal brand of political performance. His pronouncements are rarely treated with scrutiny because, after all, he represents the 'battlers'."

All politicians use the media. Howard also represented the 'battlers'. These comments are disingenuous - wish that more politicians could be more personal and less robotic in their responses.

Many politicians would love to be able to display their personal brand when not stifled by pressures to tow the party line. Some manage it despite the party line but Senator X is an Independent and thus is able to participate more freely without those pressures.

This is just an anti-Senator X article that really misses the point.

Nick Xenophon's private senator's bill to amend the public interest test for tax concessions for charities and not-for-profits has resulted not just in a senate inquiry but in the government committing to the creation of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. The Assistant Treasurer announced that the scoping study includes the amendment to the public interest test promoted by Senator X.

I've watched Nick operate during the last two years. He doesn't have anyone he can rely on to vote with him. His levers are public opinion, which requires involving the media, the mechanisms of the senate (private members bills and senate committees) and good old-fashioned persuasion.

He is extremely capable at getting a public discussion or debate going. Two years ago, no one in Australia was talking about cults, yet hundreds, perhaps thousands of people are deeply wounded. Stay tuned, though, because a government report about Scientology is about to drop that will shock many, all thanks to Nick.

Perhaps Senator X should look at all the other cults as well, are not all religions cults to a certain extent,two examples being the Greek Orthodox Church and also the Catholic church headed by the Pope, they all brainwash people just like the head of that cult now living in Fiji wanted by the S.A. authorities, if you believe in Scientology to me it is no worse than all the other so called religions, we must remember that all these cults, sorry I forgot religions, get tax relief from the Government.

Just had a look at Sen X's legislative record at APH and it's quite poor. He doesn't seem to have any policies unlike Nat Stott-Despoja but rather shops for likely 'wins'. That leaves him open to being called 'light weight' by critics - not that you'd find many in the SA media.

He seems to have his heart in the right place but is the Senate the right place for him?

Cheryl spot on with Senator X, personally I do get tired of his do-gooder image on the TV,it always makes me wonder how many other requests he has had that day for help but only looks at the hanky sob story one, definately not taken in by this.

And... here come the scientologists.

"..a rolling stone gathers no policies"

Well it would appear Senator X has a lot in commonw with the leader of the Coalition but with the advantages of a more bipartisan approach instead of a blanket NO.

Malcolm, I feel you should have credited the ABC's "Talking Heads", since you drew upon it as a source at least twice.

Senator X would swing a little more weight with me if he sold down his 6 investment properties. He and his like aren't really providing a service to renters; they help keep the residential property bubble inflated.

Hazel is clearly a Xenophon fan and good luck to her. He has a 'right on' brand, a high profile in SA and even though he has lost the balance of power in the Senate, he has promised to be a 'pesky bastard'. I think the people of SA wanted more from the so called Maverick senator.

One must question the motives of the author. A senior media adviser to both the ALP and the Democrats. The former have had rings run round them by Xenophon, after they assumed that his opposition to the Liberals, when they were in government, meant that he was a supporter of the ALP. The latter were undermined by Xenephon when he reached the Legislativee Council because he was proactive, before destroying themselves by their support for the GST. The author is obviously suffering from professional jealousy, as well as delusions.

Xenophon is, as he claims an Independent. As such, he is unable to harness massive party machines to enforce his will. He manages to attract media attention by his 'stunts', he then addresses the particular issue once he has that attention.

I doubt the fruit block owners on the Murray would endorse the views of the author. Also, it is fatuous to compare Xenophon, one vote in the Senate, with Wilkie, one casting vote in the House. However, it is perhaps noteworthy that Wilkie credits Xenophon with focussing his attention on the pokies issue.

A declaration of interest, I have supported Nick's electoral campaigns, slightly financially, heavily with manning polling booths etc., for 14 years; this as a man heavily involved with the racing industry (and therefore gambling). Nick and I agree on pokies, disagree quite strongly on other gambling issues. This does not prevent him conducting reasoned arguments,nor does it affect his (or my) approach to other issues.

It is perhaps understandable that Malcolm king does not 'get' Nick Xenophon - Xenophon has integrity, perhaps a foreign concept to King.