The squabbling members of this country’s minor parties inevitably seem to fling themselves into electoral oblivion, dragging down even those who have a shot, for their own petty personal crusades.

And, after Pauline Hanson's (original) One Nation and Clive Palmer's PUPs, it seems the Liberal Democrats are no different: another salutary reminder that no political outfit lacks its share of low aspiration party animals.

One email said David Leyonhjelm was just an “old man yelling at clouds”. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit:

The party’s sole elected official of any note, David Leyonhjelm, has departed its national executive after a nasty spat between various state-based apparatchiks, but not before reading out the most high-quality of slurs sent his way … by fellow executives.

We’re told it all went down last Sunday at the Batman’s Hill Hotel in Melbourne.