Time to take out insurance on state’s major parties

SINCE becoming One Nation’s leader in Queensland, Steve Dickson has grown into one of the country’s most authentic politicians who deserves a chance to be sent back to Parliament by the people of Buderim on the Sunshine Coast.

I hope Queensland sends many more like Steve to Brisbane at next weekend’s election.

The establishment view small parties as just protest parties. I don’t. In fact, One Nation, and parties like it, are the only chance we, the citizens, have to seriously shake up a very broken system.

They bring a dose of common sense to the table that the LNP and Labor drones abandoned a long time ago.

When voting for a minor party, like Katter in the North or One Nation everywhere else, finally the power goes back to the majority of Queenslanders, that is everyone outside of Brisbane.

Who knows who the Government will be next weekend, but the best thing you can do in your area is take a little insurance out against the big guys. Otherwise, nothing will change and you will be forgotten for another four years.

Another near miss for a right to die with dignity

While Euthanasia laws failed to pass in NSW this week, I have new hope that the day is coming where this is going to happen.

Twenty votes to 19 was the final decision of the state’s upper house and it follows a tied vote in South Australia last year.

These votes are getting closer with every year and it won’t be long until a parliament gives the people what we have consistently said we want: a right to die on our own terms when illness is going to take us in the cruellest and most painful way.

As the years go by, I am increasingly libertarian; put simply, your right to say no should not limit my right to say yes.

Now I’m not talking about illicit dugs or breaking whatever law you want. I’m saying that while I respect your decision not to go down this path, please don’t stop me from having that choice.

So for those of us with hope on this issue, all eyes are on the Victorian upper house to see what it does when they vote next in two weeks.

Everyone says it will be close, but will it be a close YES or NO?

The real reason the media loved Lambie

Jacqui Lambie quit the Senate this week after working out she is a dual citizen.

Her teary farewell was a nice moment of honesty, but some of the reaction to it has been ridiculous. One press gallery type said she was “The bogan Australia fell in love with”.

This was typical of the treatment she got going out the door for exactly the same reason Barnaby Joyce did - she qualified for dual citizenship.

In the end, Lambie was exactly the same as fellow Tasmanian Steven Parry who tried to hide until after the high court made its ruling on everyone else.

The truth behind the soft touch lies in her voting record.

The Gallery loved her because she made life harder for the Liberals and voted against the Government almost 70% of the time.

The media say they love her because she was “colourful”. No, they liked her because she was a thorn in the Government’s side.

Paul is a broadcaster with Sky News who is taking a few days off to be with his new daughter Zadie and her big sister Asher.