Rookie Hunter-based senator Ross Cadell has told the Senate that he is seeing a psychologist to help him deal with frustrations related to life in politics and his inability to deliver positive change for Australia.
In a frank assessment of his first year in the chamber, Senator Cadell acknowledged that "my aspirations have definitely out-matched my abilities in this place so far."
"I said in my Voice speech the other night that I'm going to see a psychologist for the first time since my divorce because I'm disappointed in my abilities to deliver here," he said.
Senator Cadell was previously the NSW National Party's state director. He also worked as a lobbyist for the Port of Newcastle, before becoming the National's top pick for the Senate in NSW in last year's federal election.
During a 10 minute speech on Wednesday, Senator Cadell argued that the lust to obtain and retain power by all political parties had undermined the ability to govern in the public interest.
And in a scathing swipe at parliamentary behaviour, he said "Half the time we come in here like unmedicated patients in a facility. It's not good enough."
Senator Cadell noted that John Howard was the last Prime Minister to serve back-to-back terms in the past 15 years.
"And in those last 15 years we have had (the emergence of) 24 hour media, Facebook and other social media things. It has never been easier to spread misinformation or disinformation; it has never been easier to scare people or bully them," Senator Cadell, who has another five years to run on his Senate term said.
"I think it's a result of that, that governments over this period, are governing more and more to stay elected and not governing to make a better Australia."
As a solution, he called for consideration to be given to five year parliamentary terms.
'If we had a government elected for a five year term, they would have the ability to come in and make decisions in the long term interest of our country without the fear of being voted out in two years or 18 months," he said.
"They would have the ability to do some things that hurt a bit to make our nation better."
Senator Cadell also said the inability of poorly resourced media organisations to investigate and hold governments to account had contributed to the decline of good governance.
"It (media) is not acting as a barrier to this misinformation that is so pervasive. People don't go on the net now to be informed; they go there to be emboldened and validated in their views no matter what they are," he said.
He concluded by comparing his first year as a senator to a farmer who drove a tractor around his fields for 14 hours every day but had nothing to show for it.
"I will continue to learn, I'll continue to do my very best. I'll continue to try and do what I can for Australia. But I think overall we need to look at the game," he said.
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