Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!! - Harradine Retires

The Australian political landscape took a turn for the better today, with Senator Brian Harradine, the independent Senator for Tasmania announced his retirement.

Harradine formally retires - Breaking News - http://www.theage.com.au

I once described Senator Harradine as a "boil on the neck of Australian democracy", and a quick lesson in Australian Politics will explain why.

There are less than 500,000 people living in Tasmania, and almost 100,000 of these are under fifteen. This leaves less than 400,000 people of voting age in Tasmania. In a half-Senate election in Tasmania, to secure a seat in the Senate a candidate needs less than 60,000 votes. This is even less should preferences become involved.

In the 1998 election (when Senator Harradine was reelected), Tasmania's enrolment was 330,121 with a quota (to win a seat) of only 44,054.

Senator Harradine received less than 25,000 first preference votes.

And during his time in the Senate, Senator Harradine has done his best to delay, alter, and limit the Government's ability to enact legislation and implement policy that it was clearly elected to do. This of course being done after being elected by significantly less than 1% of the Australian population.

Part of me accepts that this is the true value of a democratic system as robust as Australia's. That one person can fight the (good as he sees it) fight and actually make some positive gains for his community. For this, I commend Senator Harradine's efforts in ensuring a narrow band of ultra-conservative Christians were well represented during his time in office.

Unfortunately, a number of other groups within the Australian community were dealt an unjust blow by Senator Harradine's wheeling and dealing in the Senate.

IVF, Stem Cell Research, Native Title Legislation, the sale of Telstra, and the Goods & Services Tax, are just some areas where Senator Harradine has used his influence poorly.

Whether you agree or disagree with the policy positions taken, should not a Senator elected with such a small number of votes use their position in the balance of power somewhat more cautiously? I think so.

I will not miss Senator Harradine when he leaves the Senate.