Seeing that Jim Molan received 135,000 below the line votes, the NSW Liberal party really needs to do something about the factions who put him last.

The Senate has not done its proper job as a state's house for a long time, so the wisest thing to do, in my view, is to not necessarily vote for the party you vote for in the lower house, and vote 12 below the line. It doesn't take much effort. As things are, the main party senators just rubber stamp whatever their lower house mates decide.

ise miserable please keep up with current affairs
ttbn not sure you are quite right
We can live without a chook pen
Majority rules thankfully

Dear belly,

The reason we have half Senate elections is so that populous swings in governments are tempered. It is rightfully difficult to secure control of both houses and it is more important than ever that that remain so.

Here is an excellent perspective by Harry Evans,

"Bicameralism is only a subset of the constitutional principle of division of power. According to that principle unlimited power vested in an individual or group will be abused; it will be used to retain power, to reward supporters and punish opponents and to divert public purposes to private ends. So power must be limited. The only satisfactory method of limitation is to divide power between different bodies with some sort of veto over each other’s actions. Only respect for another power can restrain power. To make the system last, the division is made between institutions, not people."

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/~/~/link.aspx?_id=D0138C33CC444FE7B805BDC227235CE9&_z=z

Harry was our longest serving clerk of the Senate. His paper is well worth a read. Let me know what you think.

Belly,

"ise miserable please keep up with current affairs"

What's current about the Australian Regular Army and One Nation, you've lost me.

Hang on though, maybe you meant the American Rental Association, don't see the connection.
http://www.ararental.org/

Thanks ise miserable for proving my point
Steel Redux people in increasing numbers to not like or trust politicians
In even bigger numbers they do not understand them or politics
The senate, not just here, can wear some of the blame
Depressing as it is Americans, far too many of them, felt Obama did far too little in his second term
Failing to understand he could not, as he had no control over both houses
Trump was evidence of both,people dislike politicians, and fail to understand the whole subject
IF those voting small parties, say that constant failure to be a party, Hansons toy one nation did so because they saw brilliant policy ?
No Senate, or one reformed to the extent majority's did not need to beg?
IF refusing to let an elected government govern [it will be my side one day] is our wish we too fail as voters

Belly,

"I think the fact an unstable team like the ARA linked Circus one nation is, has no mandate"

I get it, you meant the NRA, but they are not linked to One Nation, so why tell an untruth?
The much-vaunted documentary that the ABC put up supplied by the terrorist linked Al Jazzira proved that there was no connection.