Vale, Senator Jacqui Lambie. And thank you, for being a much-needed human being in Parliament.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Australian democracy has been sliding, if not cascading, into serious farce territory for some time.  Section 44 of the Constitution, with all the dual-citizenship fiascoes, has made a mockery of our country.  And what a tragedy for our democracy.  I'll save my rant on s.44 for another time.

No, today, I am actually saddened by the demise of a politician.  Yes, I know that's hard to believe about me, with my utterly undisguised contempt for our political charade, and most of the players within it.
But today, the ridiculous s.44 debacle claimed the scalp of Senator Jacqui Lambie.  And I think that is a tragedy for Australian politics.

Now, to be clear at the outset, I don't agree with some of the views that Senator Lambie has espoused, don't get me wrong.  However, let's look at the person who is the politician here.
Jacqui Lambie has been a genuine, heart-felt human being in our Parliament.  Plenty of the people in there are just self-serving wankers.  Even if you don't agree with her views, if you take the trouble to listen to her efforts in the Senate - her speeches for veterans, for people on welfare, for those at risk in society - here is a politician who IS a human being and who CARES.  How bloody rare is that?  And she's also been a soldier serving our country - even more credit to her, in my view.
So, Jacqui Lambie, I say this to you: I don't agree with everything you've said, but I do love you as a politician.  You're an authentic human being, someone who actually cares about others (and not just themselves, like most politicians).   
I don't live in Tasmania, so I can't vote for you.  But I tell you this: if I could vote for you, then I would, even with my differences of opinion with you.  Why?  Because you're a decent and genuine human being.  You are what an elected politician should be in a healthy democracy.  Not like the usual egotistical strokers we get served up with.
I'll probably never meet you, but I give you my very best wishes, and I sincerely hope to see you on the political stage in the future.
Cheers,
ABP