The " Palmer United Party " came from nowhere when an incredibly rich mining magnate decided to use his money to bankroll a bid to claim the balance of power in the Australian Senate. He gathered together a slate of people and fielded political aspirants nationally and actually managed to gain three Senate seats. Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang were joined by Motoring Enthusiast party's Ricky Muir to form a voting block that served as a wrecking ball to the passage of legislation.
The problem was - and is - the convoluted mind of Clive Palmer. Having given both his name and his money to PUP, Palmer insisted that he call the shots and direct his Senators on how they should cast their votes. He quickly found that this was much in the same category as "herding cats ".
The policy directions of PUP were impossible to understand. Basically, they were dependent on how Clive Palmer felt on any particular day, whether he had enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and how his financial empire was performing - and very much on what slanging match outcome was being reported in the media between this individual and the rest of the world.
Formerly stated policy changed in the twinkling of an eye and it became painfully obvious that Australia was fast becoming impossible to govern, nomatter which major party held the balance of power in the lower house. Not only did Palmer use his power irrationally but these constantly changing directions began to grate with the individual aspirations of his Senators. Defections from the party were inevitable. First Jacqi Lambie. Ricky Muir distanced himself - and finally Glenn Lazarus became an "independent ". PUP was left holding the support of just Dio Wang.
Had PUP been a rational party it would have been to the advantage of whoever was in government to gain support for legislation with a single entity. It quickly became obvious that the policies that Palmer took to the people prior to the election were opaque and everything was on the table for negotiation if they served to create the compromises that Palmer sought. In many cases, these came into conflict with the personal thinking of individual Senators.
It will be harder now to cobble together consensus with a bunch of individuals, but at least PUP is no longer under the control of a millionaire with delusions of grandeur. His influence seems hitched to a fast waning star and will probably totally implode at the next election. Most of the public have become disenchanted with his antics.
It will be interesting to see how the former PUP Senators adjust to their new role as independents. They can no longer hide behind the cohesive obscurity of belonging to a political party and having to toe the line on it's policies. Now their vote on each and every issue will be subject to intense scrutiny and they will be called upon to explain their reasons for making that choice.
At the next election, they will either live or die on the reputation they have achieved and the support of the voting public that those decisions may attract. They will no longer have the support of Clive Palmer's millions thrown into media advertising to win them votes. If they wish to retain the title of " Senator " before their name they will need to act responsibly and create a favourable image to have any hope of reelection.
It is quite possible that we will see a taming of former inflammatory language and impractical policies in exchange for a practical approach to considering legislation on it's merits. If sanity prevails, we may be entering a new age where a government is again able to govern !
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