Would you be hanging on as a senator? Must be the power.

Senators I know who have hung on have been attracted by acceptance and opportunity to have a say in events. Power yes, but not coercive power over others.

Explosions in parties ranging from the peripheral and policy-driven to the mainstream corporate-funded power-driven parties are inevitable once parliamentarians become sucked into power-seeking for the sake of overriding others rather than devotion to the research and critical engagement necessary for pursuing a constructive vision.

Competitive power-seeking for power's own sake is what destroyed the Hawke-Keating government (along with the public becoming increasingly aware of the impoverishing role of the "accord") and the power-driven Howard-Costello conflict didn't do that government a whole lot of good either.

In the corporate-funded parties a great deal of store is set by connections and ability to bring in the shekels, and the resulting power brokerages become destabilisers as we see in the current excuse for an Australian government.

Two shootings in Victoria in the last two days and one in NSW.

"Keeping Australia a Safer Place".

Two shootings in Victoria in the last two days and one in NSW, crows the Australian chapter of the Yank NRA.

Absolutely right, our gun control laws need to be radically toughened.

For the way to handle the gun freaks read

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/

right through, three times.

EmperorJulian,

In Japan that didn't prevent 19 murdered and 26 injured while they slept. It is the person not the tool. However one should confirm that murder is illegal in Japan as in Australia. Breaking weapons ownership/possession/carriage laws is a minor consideration.

In the US, almost all gun crimes (other weapons too) are committed by blacks and most often on other blacks. Drugs and gangs are involved.

While Australian federal governments past and present would not like to admit the fact, gun crimes in Australia, while miniscule compared internationally, is almost invariably ethnic+criminal gang+drugs. It is getting worse.

-Ain't(sic) that 'Open Door' immigration and that 'diversity' tail that wags the immigration policy dog both doing great things for Australia? (NOT!)

Bone up from The Age,
http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2016/gun-city/day1.html

You are in constant denial.

Julian,

I'm willing to bet that the shootings were with illegal firearms that are banned by the Howard* Laws.

*Father of the Australian Gun Lobby.

In denial??

Read https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/ a dozen times if three times isn't enough to shake the denial. It is totally factual. The real world. Not the gun anarchy the Yank NRA dreams about. Gunshot deaths. Japan, America.

Cold, hard truth. Ducking it is denial.

The gun freaks continue to hold forth while boasting - boasting - about our laws not being nearly tough enough to stop gun deaths.

Japan's are.

Would the gun freak Leyonhjelm dare to press for a binding referendum on gun laws, with the contrast between America and Japan getting wide publicity in the runup? To let the people decide on their own safety? Betcha no way.