For their part the major parties could make changes to ensure their candidates better reflect the community they seek to represent. Not doing so only builds the image of a parliament that is full of people who don't think about "me". For Labor, the proportion of their candidates with a union background is uncomfortably high given the historically low level of union membership and the embedded union corruption. Equally the Liberal Party could look to ensuring that more of its candidates have appeal to the broader electorate rather than being a reflection of who had the numbers on this or that electoral college. Tasmania and South Australia particularly come to mind. When the major parties either fill their tickets with unionists or "play petty personality politics" do they imagine the big wide electorate is going to think positively of them? Please, nobody on either side of politics could be that stupid. For the independents and minor parties the reality that they are now part of the system they have been so critical of will dawn. The reality might be harder than some think. To whinge about preference deals when you seek to make your own is one thing. Criticising others for "doing deals" on policy won't sound so good when you are seeking to be part of the deal yourself. And when you are part of that deal you'll be accountable for its consequences. The word "deal" has, sadly, become dirty. Today it implies secrecy and self-interest. In the absence of a dictatorship we rely on the parliament we elect. With so many divergent views represented compromise is the order of the day. Stunts and simplistic solutions get sucked up easily during elections. The day-to-day grind of parliament offers little of that. The reality of politics is not a whiteboard or tweet sheet on which you type your wish list. It is more likely a bunch of choices forced on you by real life and from which you must choose the most palatable (or the least unattractive). The diet is one rich in complexity.

Government is all day, everyday. If you want to exercise influence you'll need to be there and across the issues. You won't be able to simply drop in and occasionally snack on a policy issue of your choice. On a broader note, the 24/7 news cycle has led to a constant search for new content. For all parties that means the slightest crack of light between what a leader and any one of his team says becomes far bigger news than it should. That's why the concept of singing from the same hymn sheet has got so far out of hand. Everyone now follows them to the letter which results in banal, boring comment. Why would electors bother to listen when everyone on the same side says the same thing, exactly the same way? The news cycle also means that anything said by every member and Senator is scrutinised for the opportunity to make a story by taking words out of context, twisting the meaning or making a caricature of them. We saw that last week with Nigel Scullion. For a few in the media his choice of words and the opportunity to have a go at him seemed more important than the issue devastating the rest of us. Is it any wonder that our politicians are so careful with their words? Authenticity, what we value the most in our politicians, has been largely driven out. This is one of the major challenges facing parliamentarians. We want to see, to understand and listen to the real person. An underlying problem for parliaments which assist the election of surprising outsiders is that normal people are sick of being told what they should think. Rightly, they understand that parliaments are meant to listen to them. When they see that that's not happening it's no surprise they view the system as failing. The condescension that drips from so-called intellectuals and bureaucrats creeps into the political class. After a while people become so fed up they will vote for anyone who appears to be different.

Someone who repeats those fears back and amplifies them appears to be listening. Sadly they may be ruthlessly and callously feeding their own narcissism. Just garnering a few more votes. They take the low road and prey on our natural fears. They know that dividing us is easier than bringing us together. They have no solution. Importantly, they just can't see how great we can become. The answer is not to ignore or denigrate the genuine concerns of normal people. Nor is it to turn away from the values and ideals that civilised societies enjoy ... or to batter normal people into accepting your views. The answer is to hear their concerns, to explain the solution, to inspire us, to draw us to the higher plane we all have in our hearts. That's the high road. .