I want to dedicate what is left to the people who I believe need representation the most. I wrote a book about them, they live in the weatherboard and iron of the smaller towns and villages.

I want to drive three issues; Newstart, nuclear power and regional senators.

Not that they in themselves are some grand elixir but they are a match to ignite controversy that illuminates other issues near the country campsite fire. You always need at least three logs to get a fire going. Those closest to you have the power to surprise you the most.

My mother, who has cancer, said one of her proudest moments for her in my political career was when I went out against Prime Minister John Howard to get fair legal treatment for David Hicks. This was no endorsement of the actions of Hicks but a belief that we support proper jurisprudence and not to be a lickspittle to an alternative agenda of another nation.

My dim views about Hicks remain the same but my belief in habeas corpus trumps my disregard for Hicks.

Currently we have a drought and workers are being put off, not because they are lazy but because the farmer can no longer afford to pay them. Similarly, in small towns and villages in rural Australia, people out of work are not sustained on Newstart.

Just do the maths of rent, groceries, power and fuel in a week and compare that to what someone out of work gets.

You can't just say to St Vincent De Paul, who among many, have brought this to my attention and say sorry I must be mute. They want to hear your advocacy, they want to see it, if required they want to see you punched in the nose because of it.

Power prices are attached to poverty. No power, no fridge, heater, stove, lights or hot water. Around and around we go in this debate as those who want Australian emissions reduction to trump those who need dignity in the most basic appliances in their life.

Power policy will be working in Australia when we return to the cheapest power in the OECD as we once had. If we believe that emissions are more important than dignity, we had better rethink our ethos of a fair go.

We need regional senators, two per region and six regions per state to take the place of the Motorist Enthusiast Party being able to win a Senate seat.

If we had regional senators then I believe the parliament would not believe the ventilation of regional issues is the actions of the recalcitrant.