"We can stop thgm in the Senate"

I was told yesterday. 
The person speaking to me was talking about the election results. It was an interesting comment. 
When I gently pointed out that this was not the way the Senate is supposed to work he just laughed and said, "That's not the point Cat. The point is that we can make life difficult for them. They won't be able to govern. With any luck they won't even last three years and we will be able to get on with the job we should have been elected to do. The media might give us proper support next time round."
I suppose it depends on where you are coming from but the media was giving the Opposition plenty of support I would have thought.
Much more worrying was this man's ideas about the role of the Senate. He's a seasoned political volunteer - once thought to be a likely candidate. He should know better.
The Senate is the house for the states. We have twelve Senators and their job is supposed to be to look after the interests of the overall state rather than an electorate. The Senate is a house of review - rather like the House of Lords. Their job is not to block legislation which comes through but to review it and suggest changes if the interests of the states are not being met. The Senate is also supposed to be non-partisan. Ultimately it can block supply and force an election.
It is none of those things. It has turned into a second partisan chamber which often prevents a government from getting things done. It does this not because the legislation is necessarily wrong or bad but simply because it can. This is all too often because people vote one way for the House of Representatives and another for the Senate. 
Now unlike some people I wouldn't want to do away with the Senate. I think we should retain it. I see it as the safety valve on the pressure cooker of parliament. I  also believe people need to be educated about what the intended role of the Senate is and the Senate needs to be held accountable in their intended role.
It is one of the things I am hoping to talk to my newly returned member. She has managed to get over the line - just. The redrawn electoral boundaries cut her majority to a wafer thin margin and she is going to have to work hard to get things done. 
But - it should not be about deliberately stopping elected governments doing their job.