Unrepresentative sentimentality

The Greens will go into history as a group with some great ideas. Like those who identify with them,  their failure will be to put sentimentality with substance . Politics is the art of the possible and while its good to dream and to have slogans, members of all parties and positions must do their homework.

Advocates of the latest Green push to give gays more rights failed in parliament this week to address even the most basic of questions about law and liberty for children . Our local member Mr Cheeseman claimed his electorate  as highly progressive and liberated from the past  even though more established representatives of Labor like Mr O' Connor would not go that far .But its only one group making all the noise -typical childrenincharge stuff from Labor .

I wonder which of these people below who claimed to be on the edge of history will be still in parliament next time around. I wonder too whether they will quite so lyrical about their fine cutting swords in dealing with bullying,  intimidation and simple sentiment against others. Its been a  great day for the people and parliament when the great majority of them stood and sat quietly against the noisy intimidation and  careless talk that in the last few weeks clearly involved unrepentant  playing of the man and not the ball .

Ayes, 42Mr AlbaneseMr DreyfusMr S. P. JonesMs RoxonMr BandtMrs ElliotDr M. J. KellyMs Saffin*Ms BirdMs EllisMs KingMr ShortenMs BrodtmannMr GarrettMs LivermoreMr SidebottomMr ButlerMr GeorganasMs MacklinMr S. F. SmithMr ChampionMr GibbonsMr MarlesMs SmythMr CheesemanMr GrayMr OakeshottMr SnowdonMr ClareMs GriersonMs ParkeMr C. R. ThomsonMs CollinsMr GriffinMr PerrettMr WilkieMr CombetMs Hall*Ms Plibersek Mr CreanMr JenkinsMs Rishwort