Lambie needs to get off destructive Hanson path

The similarities between Tasmanian Palmer United Party Senator Jacqui Lambie and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson are rapidly appearing.

Both rose to fame and became household names following their maiden speeches in Parliament and some of the cringe worthy television interviews that came after.

Pauline Hanson told Parliament in her maiden speech, ‘‘I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians’’.

Senator Lambie echoed that sentiment by getting behind Clive Palmer’s comments on Q and A that the Chinese ‘‘shoot their own people’’ and ‘‘wanted to take over Australia’’ by saying she feared a Chinese communist invasion.

But it seems it’s Muslims that the North-West firebrand has her sights set on.

A YouTube video of Senator Lambie edited and dubbed into a Ghost Busters scene re-creates her most infamous quotes.

The clip already has combined views of more than 4000. 

The main feature of the spoof is Lambie struggling and stumbling over an explanation of sharia law to Insiders host Barrie Cassidy.

Senator Lambie had said that anyone in support of it should be cut off from welfare and asked to pack their bags and leave the country.

The interview made it into all mainstream media, with headlines such as ‘‘Lambie struggles to define sharia law’’.

It’s a deja vu of 1996 and Pauline Hanson saying that famous ‘‘Please explain’’ line when asked on 60 Minutes whether she was a xenophobe.

A Hanson impersonator rose to fame in the parody song Pauline Pantsdown, which raced up the ARIA charts, and is still a favourite in Australian popular culture.

In 1996 even the most disinterested political follower could have named two members of Parliament – Prime Minister John Howard and One Nation’s Pauline Hanson.

And today, average Tasmanians would struggle to name our 12 senators, except for Jacqui Lambie – the one who talked about wanting her ideal man to have a ‘‘large package between his legs’’ and wants to ban the burqa.

Being known for those reasons is as unhelpful as not being known at all.

The fledgling senator entered Parliament on July 1 and already has 300,000 hits on Google.

She comes up in conversation in a range of spheres, especially ones where politics wouldn’t usually be discussed.

But unfortunately the content of the discussions is of no help to the state.

Ms Hanson became subject to satire and criticism and often made headlines after interviews, and her magnification in the media soon led to her career spiralling out of control. 

For both the sake of Senator Lambie and the state I hope she doesn’t suffer the same fate. 

Tasmania has a chance to have a Brian Harradine-like figure in the Senate fighting for its needs. 

For Senator Lambie to continue to go down the Pauline Hanson path would be a huge disappointment and a wasted opportunity.

She has thrown some strong ideas into the public sphere worthy of discussion, such as quotas for Aboriginal people in Parliament, a RET exemption for Tasmania and rights for veterans. 

Rather than calling for royal commissions at the drop of a hat and making Muslims feel unwelcome, the senator needs to focus on realistic and useful policies she can use her valuable balance of power to fight for.