Dear ttbn,

I think ScuMo definitely knew three Chinese naval vessels were going to enter Sydney Harbour virtually unannounced to the public. Think about it: He skipped out of the country the day before they arrived making sure he wasn't freely available to answer any questions about it to local news media. If that's not cunning than I don't know what is! And I think only a fool would believe ScuMo wasn't behind the recent raids on a journalist and the ABC. The history books are full of wannabe dictators and their machinations.

Everywhere has a social housing crisis, SR. Federal money (money jointly owned by the Federation) is inequitably being focused solely on Tasmania's problem.

I don't mind being called a hard-arse for taking my stance, particularly when Tasmania is already a major recipient of GST at the expense of states also scratching around for public-housing money. A case in point would be over in WA where the state is in big hock due to inequitable GST carve-ups. It won't be spending much on public-housing for decades without huge borrowings.

To get back to the principle, however, senators should not be in parliament to lever out whatever they can for their states at the expense of other states. Defend it all you will.

SR,

There is no other country with a democratically elected parliament that has a body like the senate that is elected in such an undemocratic way with the power to permanently block legislation from the parliament.

Modifications that would make the senate more representative would include one senator representing 250 000 people. This would give Tasmania 2 senators and NSW 30 etc. Why would a Tasmanian vote = 15 NSW votes?

Secondly, preference votes need to be limited. JL got 3% of the vote with the rest on preferences.

Finally,

Given the coalition's haul this election, if Labor wins the next election it could very well see every bit of legislation blocked.

Dear Shadow Minister,

You write;

“There is no other country with a democratically elected parliament that has a body like the senate that is elected in such an undemocratic way...”

Oh for God's sake, the House of Lords?

You may well feel FPTP more democratic than proportional representation, I don't.

You asked;

“Modifications that would make the senate more representative would include one senator representing 250 000 people. This would give Tasmania 2 senators and NSW 30 etc. Why would a Tasmanian vote = 15 NSW votes?”

Because I repeat the Senate was designed to look after the interest of the States and Jacqui Lambie's recent negotiations fell right within that gambit.

Why are conservatives so against change within our institutions until the checks and balances become inconvenient and then they want to tear up a system which has given us the 'world's most stable democracy'?

Dear Lucifrase,

You whinge;

“A case in point would be over in WA where the state is in big hock due to inequitable GST carve-ups. It won't be spending much on public-housing for decades without huge borrowings.”

Did you just pull this out of your backside on a whim?

The last budget sees federal funding toward public housing in Tasmania set at $33.7 million dollars at a rate per head of population of under $66. Western Australia was given $165.9 million, or a bit over $70 per head. In fact the only state below Tasmania was South Australia. Now I don't know how much if any of WA's funding goes to paying off their housing debt incurred 30 years ago but for Tasmania it is over 50%. If you can't see why Lambie felt she had to step up to help then I'm not sure I can assist.

As to this from you; “senators should not be in parliament to lever out whatever they can for their states at the expense of other states.”

The whole bloody reason why the blinking upper house was put in place was so that the State's representatives could lever away for their State.

SR, apples with oranges comparisons. Debt forgiveness is a totally different issue to current federal outlays. Keep digging.

You justify Lambie's behaviour but give it no ethical validity. Show from where in the Constitution, rather than from your your own obviously cavernous khyber, your interpretation of the Senate's function emanates.

Oh come on, if anyone can't see that Lambie is a moron, then I can see another glaring reason why this country is stuffed.
I know I don't want these elite con-men in the job, but Lambie?, seriously?
She is atypical of the worst example of a public representative.
The question, I believe, burning a whole in most people's minds is; 'is this the best Tasmania has got to offer'?
And please before another moron says something stupid like, 'we need a diverse range of people in govt', I would quickly point out we have enough morons, there already, we don't need any more.
I don't care that she is blackmailing the parliament, I don't even care that she has NO idea what the hell she's doing.
All I see is another 'Bozo the clown' who can't put two words together and just another arrogant fool who thinks they should be a minister because they get gee'd up by the local bar flies of her local, and hey presto we have another wannabee useless govt minister.
Now she can join the rest of the irrelevant clowns in parliament.
What makes even less sense is that there are people out there who actually take morons like Lambie seriously and sing songs of praise and speak as if she is the second coming.
Well if she is, she well and truly missed the bus and has ended up in the wrong place, along with a few other brainiacs, curiously, women as well.
Ah well if a govt minister is a sample of the people they represent, then I guess that says it all.
I'm still disappointed over that other moron, Ricky Muir.
I had such hopes for the public's freedom of choice on what cars we can import and gouging by our car industry, I thought Muir was going to put things straight, but instead, turned out to be just another bit of deadwood, and to this day have no idea what happened and where he is.
Useless!