I believe politicians are answerable to their colleagues and to their electorate and either of those should decide if he should go.

But in this case the media could smell blood, and could see a story that could be sold, so they relentlessly pursued Barnaby until they wore him down. The media can feel little pride in this process, indeed they should feel remorse.

What gives the media the right to park outside a private residence twenty four hours a day destroying the privacy of the occupants?

I am a staunch supporter of freedom of the press, a basic platform of democracy, but I find the unrelenting hounding of Barnaby quite despicable.

On a similar note the reporter who had a door slammed on her, by a quite unsavory character, deserves no sympathy, a person should be entitled to get into a car and drive away without a reporter forcing herself into the car.

If media refuses to exercise greater restraint some government interference is warranted.

IT’S been interesting to watch the reaction – outside the Riverina – to the appointment of Michael McCormack as new Nationals leader and deputy prime minister.

Much of the commentary has focused on the fact that “no one” has heard of Mr McCormack, either ignoring the fact that he is clearly well-known within his electorate or more likely dismissing that as being quite irrelevant. 

After all, what does it matter if the country folk of the Riverina are familiar with Mr McCormack – it’s not as if us country folk matter anyway!

It’s hard to imagine now, but at some point I am sure even Barnaby Joyce was an “unknown” to the vast majority of Australians, and the same could be said of most of our famous and infamous politicians. One thing is certain – I, for one, now know far more than I ever wanted to know about Barnaby Joyce.

So the “boy from Brucedale” is now the deputy prime minister of Australia. I suggest that he enjoy the time of it because it won’t last all that long.

Mr McCormack only has to wait about a year and a few months - to the next federal election - some time in 2019. It is my opinion that Malcolm Turnbull will not win another term in office, and I will be most surprised if he does. Enjoy the time Malcolm and Michael, it might not last all that long.

For Purple Day 2018, coming up on March 26, Australians with epilepsy are encouraging friends, family members, colleagues and the wider community to become better informed about epilepsy to reduce the fear and misconceptions often associated with the condition.

Around 250,000 Australians are diagnosed with epilepsy, and more than 65 million people worldwide, making it the world’s most common serious brain disorder. 

More people have epilepsy than have Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy combined, however epilepsy remains poorly understood – and often feared – by much of the community. 

That’s why we’re using the tagline “Know epilepsy. No fear” this year, to promote the idea that knowledge is power when it comes to understanding and assisting someone with epilepsy.

Ideas and suggestions for ways to get involved in Purple Day this year can also be found at www.epilepsy.org.au.