Don’t believe Labor spin on who’s to blame for Pauline Hanson

Were Labor on the wrong side of history, fighting to retain a system that they had until recently slammed as a blight on democracy?

Arguably yes. While some may not like the 2016 Senate result, there is no question that it better reflects the democratic will of the people.

Yes, the double dissolution quota has seen the surprising election of a handful of senators on relatively low first preference votes, as in 2013.

But unlike 2013, this time around there has been no preference whispering, no backroom deals.

Whichever way you look at it, the new system is a clear improvement. We have the Government and, to their credit, Nick Xenophon and the Greens to thank.

Labor, faced with the opportunity to help fix Senate voting, chose instead to engage in opportunistic spin. In its reaction to the Senate result since, it looks like it still is.