I am fully supportive of a Senate containing representatives from minor parties or independents. I feel they are capable of adding perspectives which would otherwise not surface in a strictly two party system.

For instance I have a lot of time for Senator Lamby even though I don't share most of her politics, but this week Pauline Hanson just left me bloody speechless.

http://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/watch-no-senator-australian-pauline-hanson-humbled-navy-admiral-during-hearing

Pump-jet powered submarines only able to stay underwater for 20 minutes?

It was an excruciating display of mind-numbing ignorance delivered with sneering derision that was just awful.

We surely deserve better.

Come off it Steely.

A very large number of our politicians believe CO2 will cause Catastrophic Global Warming, "an excruciating display of mind-numbing ignorance" far in excess of anything Pauline has professed.

Dear Hassie,

Actually that's not true. Pauline's record is one of
being - ill-informed, simplistic and facile.
She ignores the true complexities of any issue.
It would be impolite to call her an utter idiot - but
she's more dangerous than that. She's been elected to
our country's Senate and as Steele points out - we need
to do better than that.

For example just listing some of her actions :

1) Her admiration of Vladimir Putin (SMH Feb.10 2017)
remained undiminished with her shrugging off criticism of
Russia's alleged role in the death of 38 Australians on
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 by commenting that -
"Everyone has done something."
She doubled down on her praise of the Russian President
earlier that week. Senator Hanson also drew a moral
equivalence between the actions of Australian leaders and
those of Mr Putin, whose administration has been linked to
the deaths of journalists and political opponents.

2) Her comments on students with disabilities and children
with autism showed her ignorance on the subject.

3) Then we have her critique of judging a book by its
cover. Australian comedian Sami Shah wrote a book
titled - "The Islamic Republic of Australia," which was
an informative work and not what the title may suggest.
However, off she went on her usual tirades.

I totally agree with Steele. Her latest venture into
submarines proves that we certainly should be able to do
better with who we elect into office.

Or we may end up with another Trump. Oh wait - there's always
Mr Abbott baying in the background. (cringe). Would that
be worse?

Dear Foxy,

Through the years I have been at pains to cut her some slack, even around my friends, primarily because she represents the discontent of a section of Australia whose voices should be heard.

I was always uncomfortable with the derision her “Please explain” question engendered. Even if she wasn't across the meaning of the word xenophobic then it was no reason to hang her out to dry.

But this is orders of magnitude worse for two reasons; common bloody sense would tell even the most belligerent that the navy was not going to be using submarines capable of only staying below water for 20 minutes full stop. But even if she had believed that, rather than ask a question she stated this assertion as fact.

It made her look both clueless and cretinous.

Dear Hasbeen,

As much as your anti GW stance is a political rather than a scientific one, born from you employing an almost cultish degree willful ignorance, I do feel you and your ilk should have a voice as much as your positions infuriates me. Even you lot deserve to have your views articulated by an even moderately capable representative. Hanson has repeated shown to struggle to make the mark but this latest episode has me firmly convinced she is incapable of ever meeting it.

It must be really irksome to have her exhibit such stupidity. Even you deserve better.

Dear Steele,

I agree. I've always been taught to not judge people
too harshly no matter how dubiously you think they
behave until you know all the facts. However with
Senator Hanson - her behaviour and comments are
stretching the limits to the extreme. It's becoming
more and more difficult to not see her for what she is.

cont'd ...

Dear Steele,

I forgot to add that Senator Hanson has secured a
six year Senate term (as has Jacqui Lambie). While
Senator Derryn Hinch has secured a three year Senate
term.

Six years of Pauline Hanson.

Oh joy!