Well you would say that now that the double dissolution has failed!? And largely as a consequence of conservatives undermining the Authority of their elected leader. Who at lest understands that elections and the people's' mandate are won in the middle rather than the far right.

If folks want to practice there religion or indeed try to ram it down the throats of others, parliament is just not the place to do it, but rather some largely powerless antiquated religious organisation! Lettuce spray.
Alan B.

Proper accountability depends on people knowing the truth: Australia is a sovereign currency issuer that never borrows in foreign currency. Bondholders have a 100% chance of getting their money back (despite what incompetent credit ratings agencies may say) and the IMF will never hold any power over us, nor be of any use to us.

And as for the spending that the senate blocked, it only accounted for a small part of the deficit. We're now in the part of the economic cycle where deficits are unavoidable, but that means more spending would be desirable anyway.

Alan B.

Conservatives did not undermine Turnbull. Turnbull himself and his leftist cronies were the problem. Turnbulls's 'popularity' rode on the back of polls in which people, who were never going to vote for the Coalition, said he was a jolly good fellow because he was far to the left of Abbott, whom they hated. Turnbull, his admirers thought, would give them a Labor-lite government, but they still couldn't bring themselves to vote for the Coalition. How could they? They were rusted on socialist, climate and gay marriage advocates to whom it would be anethma to vote for a conservative government. Turnbull, the unmitigated fool and incompetent, and the 54 leftists of the Coalition who installed him, fell for the polls, and the rest is history. Those voters who turned away from the Coalition voted for parties other than Labor, whose vote was the second lowest ever.

People like you just do not get it. Australians of left, right and centre want clear cut differences between parties. Turnbull and the wet 54 have effectively taken choice away from voters by moving to the left. That they have just managed that by a small margin shows that the situation will not be tolerated by voters and, whether Turnbull and his fellow conspirators against democracy (merely to win an election) struggle through the next three years or not, there is a clear message that their kind will not be tolerated again. It's a pity we will have to see Australian sink further economically and socially until the rats are exterminated.

It is worth remembering that Senate obstruction has been around for a long time. In the early 1990s Paul Keating made some famous remarks bringing into question whether the practice was consistent with democratic principles. It was a problem for the Howard government in introducing the GST, but revenue was flowing strongly enough at the time to enable potential losers to be over-compensated.
The problem is greater now because current and future governments are confronted with the need to make unpopular spending cuts and/ or tax increases.

A major problem with the author's joint-sitting suggestion is it would further propagate the problem of Senators of Tasmania having disproportionate power by over-representing the small Tasmanian-state "electorate".

MORE DETAILED

Noting each State has 12 Senators (no matter the population disparities - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_list_of_states_and_territories_of_Australia ) and each Territory only 2 Senators.

It would propagate the historical anachronism of 12 Senators of tiny population states (meaning mainly TASMANIA)

undue influence compared to highly populated states (especially NSW and VIC)

and Territories, which are under-represented by Senators (only 2 each in ACT).

Well, if your assessment is indeed accurate ttbn, then Cory ought to immediately split from the (unworkable) coalition taking the Abbott clique with him! and given an early election and ample funding from folks with your shared disposition? Contest the next election as far to the right of Malcolm and his 54 wets as they please!

And stand tall and square for what they believe in? Vastly reduced social welfare, massively reduced corporate taxation, a repeal of the new super and capital gains changes; and just reversing any move toward Gay marriage rights.

Then with the "correct" policy settings in place, take their case and policy paradigms to the people and in every seat!

If you're right they ought to romp in and win a majority in both houses in their own right? However, within the limits of possibility! I'll put my house on a result that sees them fail dismally in both houses? You?
Alan B.

Abbott's idea was to have a modern day dictatorship. He was judged far to radical for the public. Besides the mountain of lies he based his election on. How many votes did the UPF get. They are a mob of far right radicals just like Abbott.

I do not believe the only way to cut spending is by slash and burn.

A Senate elected and voting along party lines is not what our founding fathers had in mind. So, the idea that Tasmania should have the same number of senators as NSW is antiquated.

A house of review. fine, but none of this equal representation swill.

Alan,

Forget Bernadi. He doesn't have the personality nor the interest in people to get anywhere. He is a cold fish and a zealot; a thoroughly unlikeable person. You might be justified in calling him 'far right'. I just regard him as a freak and a religious fundamentalist. He is not your average Catholic.

The type of conservatism that worked for Australia is the Howard type. We were all better off than we had ever been, and there was no extremism. You probably don't remember the Menzies days, but the real Australia existed then, too, even though the world was a much simpler place, where there were clear distinctions between right an wrong, and we knew who our friends and enemies were. Now, we sit back and let our enemies kill us and our friends because some idiots came up with the idea of cultural relativity and sensitivity to a culture wanting to wipe us out. We are too weak to successfully prosecute a war to protect ourselves. And, we kowtow to an evil, Communist dicatorship as though it were just another benign, allied country.

As for your homosexual 'marriage' hobby horse, you have Labor and the Greens to give that one a go if enough people agree to it. It is not a platform of conservatism, and you have to accept that, just as I would have to accept it if Labor had won the election. That's democracy, something I'm not convinced you believe in.