Foxy,

Irrespective of how you feel presently, this constitutional requirement was a non-issue 6 months ago and will be a non-issue 6 months from now.

Both Labor and the Libs have a rigorous screening process to prevent stuff ups like this, and the issue only came about due to the gross incompetence of 2 greens senators.

As a constitutional law, it cannot be changed by Parliament and would require a referendum costing > $200m and most certain to lose as referendums need to pass in every state and territory, and generally fail without bipartisan support. Given the tenuous support your mini poll indicated, the required support is not there.

Leoj, you're wrong, no matter how much you would like it to be the case, and how much you stir the pot with your ignorance Richard Di Natale's position as federal Greens leader is rock solid. Certainly far more secure than the positions of Turnbull and Shorten. Given the instability within the Coalition, Turnbull could go at anytime, and Shorten's position is only as good as to the next election. Billy Boy has to win, or he's out.

Foxy, there is a basic flaw in our political system, the two party system, and all the advantages given to those two parties, the Coalition is in reality one party. Electorally the two obtain a disproportionate amount of representation. At election time 95% of votes end up in the Labor or the Coalition pile, the two party preferred nonsense sees one or the other gain 50% plus of the vote. That ensures one or the other will form government. A minority government is an aberration which soon sorts itself out. Despite a steady decline in their vote, over time, the two big parties continue to share government, alternating from one to the other. This bias is intensified by the capitalizing of politics by wealthy benefactors, donating mostly to the big two, for obvious reasons of largesse flowing their way from government, this all ensures a continuation of the bias.

The great value of true third parties and independents is their "freedom" to question and highlight inadequacies of governments, something that cannot always be relied upon to be effectively done by the official opposition. Your Larissa Waters 'newmatilda' article is a case in question. When the stakes are as high as they are in the Queensland development, with vested interests threatened as they are, do not expect them to take it lying down. They will call in a debt owed by government very quickly, and government reacts as they expect them to.

Dear Paul,

You've summed things up beautifully.

I wrote to Shadow Minister on Graham's thread that
although I've never voted for the Greens I admired
Scott Ludlum and Larissa Waters. They to me represented
the party's two best performing senators and their
departure will have a huge effect not only on the
environmental party but on Parliament in general.
Together Ludlum and Waters represented the Greens'
Parliamentary future.

Larissa Waters was the party's best media performer.
As one political commentator pointed out - she
had a great policy brain and was an effective campaigner
on issues like the Carmichael coal mine, the health of
the Great Barrier Reef, women in the workplace, and
much, much more. She was tough and feisty.

Scott Ludlum was one of the the best Senate's Estimates
questioners. A razor sharp intellect with a sound grasp
of Parliamentary tactics.

Their going is a great loss not only for the Greens but for
all of us who value talented politicians in our Parliament.

leoj,

I am happy that you did find some merit in the
link I gave about Larissa Waters.

Dear Shadow Minister,

You could be right. Six months from now all this
could be a non-event as you say.

However, I'm hoping that the opposite will be
true. That voters will ask for changes to be made to
archaic laws. That these recent events will lead
to other possible changes as well.
In what actually serves our 'national interest'.

However Richard Di Natale is a dead man walking. After years of looking away and not reporting most of the Greens factional ructions, even buffing them up, the ABC has been obliged to see the obvious (and mild satire it is too),

"The Greenlight Zone with Richard Di Natale
Richard Di Natale takes a trip into the Greenlight Zone as he discovers several members of his party have vanished and no-one seems to think they ever existed."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-23/the-greenlight-zone-with-richard-di-natale/8735394

However Richard Di Natale couldn't fall off his perch fast enough to please the hating Greens 'Eastern Bloc' faction, the serial *bleep*stirrers, who want to put the awful Lee Rhiannon in as leader and as deputy, Adam Bandt, who vies with Rhiannon for the dubious prize of most unattractive to the main body of the electorate.

Bob Brown, who himself as leader was always complaining about being white-anted by Lee Rhiannon and the Greens Trots, is jealously sinking the boot into present leader Di Natale, for poor 'administration',

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/07/21/greens-need-stronger-admin-bob-brown

Is that Bob Brown's signature 'gaslighting' look? Anyhow, it brings back memories of his cruel manipulation and Greens undermining of Australia's first woman PM, Julia Gillard, who remarked ruefully later that the Greens is just a protest party. It is chockers with narcissists too. Although the number was reduced recently.

Anyone who denies that Richard di Natale is embattled must not have visited Earth for some time,

"This is Ground Control calling Paul1405. Come in Paul1405, where are you?"

Leoj, there you go again buzzing around, pretending you are the all knowing. all seeing, fly on the wall. When the reality is you know nothing of the Greens. Have you ever personally met a Green, while strutting the Gold Cost in your white shoes, I think not.
Now to claim Lee Rhiannon wants the leadership, is nothing by a figment of your distorted imagination.
Is this your job. getting on this forum and peddling this nonsense. Did Pauline promote you to this exalted position within One Nation