Turning your back on a "Welcome

to country" is what I would expect of the four far right Senators in our national parliament. Their leader made her views known about such things many years ago. She has been in and out of politics since 1994 - first as a councillor in local government and then as a member in the Lower House of the national parliament. She then moved to the Senate and has managed to retain her seat on her "One Nation" platform. 

Her maiden speech in the Lower House made not just national but international headlines. I came across it again when I was moving. A friend of the Senior Cat had given it both of us and asked for our views. 

It was a passionate speech. It was most definitely "right wing". There were many things said in it that were heavily criticised at the time but the quiet word was that there were also many things with which the "average MITS and WITS" ("man in the street/woman in the street) agreed. 

I did not bother to reread the speech. I threw it out. I am not sure why the Senior Cat kept it. We were both disturbed by it. Perhaps that is why he kept it. 

There were no "welcome to country" ceremonies when this person first entered politics.  It really is not that long ago. Parliament just opened with the old traditions and closed with the same traditions. There was no suggestion of a "Voice" enshrined in the Constitution or many other things. A lot can change in thirty years. 

There are now four Senators of that persuasion in the Senate. It perhaps says something about an increasing concern with respect to the politics of "race". Support for the "One Nation" party may not be that high yet but it could increase. The argument that turning your back on the "welcome" is not racist but a protest against "tokenism" will go down well with some.

It should be seen as a warning to the government. Our rather peculiar voting system has given the current government a massive majority in the Lower House but they will need to rely on the Coalition or the cross bench to get legislation through the Upper House. Yes, they may get the support of the far left "Greens" but one of their members was in greater strife yesterday.  There are elected representatives on all sides who seem to have forgotten they are there to represent the people who elected them.