There is no moralist like a reformed whore

Since the federal election, there has been considerable angst expressed among the media and a number of politicians over the preference deals, which resulted in the election of a number of minor and micro party candidates as senators. Until now, the senate has been composed of Labor, Liberal, and the Greens, along with the odd independent.

To most of the political establishment the election of non major party candidates constituted the end of the world as they knew it, and expected it to remain.  It became clear to them that this sort of thing had to stop and the senate should remain permanently in the hands of the established ruling class.

Meet Nick Xenophon, the independent green senator from South Australia, (Left).  Nick is the guy leading the charge to have the system changed to block upstarts with different ideas from getting elected by harvesting preferences from minor parties.  He is going to introduce legislation to put an end to those outside the established order sneaking into parliament and making waves other than his own.

Nick though, has something of a fascinating history of his own.

His first bid at entering politics was in the South Australian Legislative Council in 1997, on the basis of being the wowser ‘No Pokies’ candidate.  He managed to get about a third of the votes required, but then harvested preferences from minor parties, eventually getting ahead of Grey Power which was a popular force with older people at the time.  Their preferences put him over the line and into parliament.

Now that he is part of the establishment he is outraged at minor parties doing the same thing.

It seems that there is no moralist like a reformed whore.