Jacqui and Pauline teaming up is an awful mistake

Tasmanian Palmer United Party Senator Jacqui Lambie has been creating quite the stir in the media and within her own party ranks recently.  That came to a head today with PUP leader Clive Palmer demoting her from the deputy leadership and blocking her access to PUP meetings.

Lambie has however found friends in unexpected, or not so unexpected places.  Former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has announced she will return to politics for the 10th time contesting a seat in Queensland.  She has said she is certainly willing to talk to Lambie.  This is no shock given the two share similar views on immigration and a white Australia policy.  Both are opposed to halal being sold when only 5% of the population is Muslim, but that breaks down to 500,000 people or the size of Wollongong and Newcastle put together.

For those of you who don't remember, Hanson was jailed for electoral fraud in 2003 however she was released from prison after eleven weeks.  During her time imprisoned Hanson denied she was guilty of electoral fraud to the tune of $498,637.

In 2011 she ran as an independent in the New South Wales state election.  She was unsuccessful.

Since then she has kept out of the limelight.  That is until now.  Jacqui Lambie appears to have motivated her to return to politics, so what is the likelihood they will be successful if they team up?  Well, given the Australian voting public doesn't tend to like minor parties, least of all women in power it's very unlikely the party will make it to parliament.  This is partially because of the voter system too of FPP.  If Australia had MMP then more than likely the party would get back to parliament.

Of course, as you can imagine the two are copping a lot of flak for their views and being renegades.  That aside, both are receiving an undue amount of flak with the likes of former Pauline Pantsdown singer Simon Hunt saying he doesn't want Hanson's cause to be given anymore airtime.  Others have questioned their intelligence and referred to them in other derogatory terms.

Putting opinion aside, will the duo work together?  My objective analytical answer is no.  It's not that they don't have a message some of the Australian public wants to hear, it's that they are both simply way too strong to work together.  They're both what you would call alpha females and both would want to be in charge.  They'd lock horns and neither would want to come second to the other.

Then there is the fact that Australia doesn't like opinionated female politicians exception being Foreign Minister Julie Bishop but outside of official meetings, Bishop doesn't actually say a lot so there's nothing to say about her.  When an Australian female politician does speak out on various issues, the Australian public and media commentators absolutely hate it and don't give the a fair go.

Should Hanson and Lambie be given airtime to speak their views?  Yes, that's what our democracy is about.  Do you have to like it?  No.  Should you respect it?  Yes.