Crossbench Senator Tammy Tyrrell has declared being a politician “is the strangest experience” as she used her first speech to parliament to vow to represent “normal people”, like the long-term unemployed and Australians who are struggling to make ends meet.
The Tasmanian, who supports increases to welfare payments, like Jobseeker, to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the country, could be a key vote on contentious pieces of legislation in this parliament and the next.
Senator Tyrrell said calling herself a senator still felt "like I'm a kid playing dress-ups, like there's been a mistake."
"I didn't grow up writing and rewriting my first speech in my head," she added.
But in her maiden address, Senator Tyrrell promised to advocate for those struggling financially and draw on her own experiences of being out of work, as well as her 15 years of helping people find jobs.
"Tasmania has places where people grow up watching their parents be unemployed," Senator Tyrrell, who represents the Jacqui Lambie Network, told the upper house of parliament.
"It breaks my heart. I've seen bright, funny, confident people get broken by a long stint out of work, she said.
"They get humiliated by it. It's like coming last in a beauty contest every day and it's a kind of trauma, it's bloody hard to come back from.
"If you can't work, we should be working for you to make your life better."
Parliament needs more 'normal people'
Before winning her spot, Senator Tyrrell worked for Senator Jacqui Lambie for eight years.
Senator Tyrrell urged the media to cut politicians some slack and be more aware of what "normal", regular people are like if the federal parliament is to become more representative of everyday Australians.
Senator Tyrrell declared that normal people "laugh at inappropriate jokes", wear "fat pants" on the weekend, get nervous in front of crowds, self-conscious in front of cameras and importantly "change their minds about things".
She vowed to be straight with people, describing her close friends as "plain and simple," and claimed MPs and senators should not be harshly judged for flip-flopping on policy.
"Politicians won't acknowledge they've got something wrong or acknowledge that they've changed their minds if you go after them," she said.
"If you want politics to change, you've got a role to play too.
"If you've ever criticised a politician for flip-flopping or reversing their position on something, or looking like a dork, or feeling nervous about a media appearance, you're making it impossible for regular people to get involved in politics.
"I don't want to start acting like a politician, please don't try and make me."
Be kind to the crossbench, Tyrrell urges
Senator Tyrrell is one of a few crossbench senators who could be influential on the passage of contentious parts of the Albanese government's agenda.
If the opposition votes against a bill, Labor needs the support of the Greens and one crossbencher for it to pass the Senate.
In most circumstances, the government is likely to speak first to ACT Independent David Pocock, Senator Lambie and Senator Tyrrell.
Senator Tyrrell said she appreciated the passion behind many political debates, but urged her new colleagues in the upper house to be kind and not vilify each other if they don't see eye-to-eye.
"People who disagree aren't bad," Senator Tyrrell said.
"They have a different view of what a good country looks like but that doesn't mean they're the devil incarnate.
"Please don't be horrible to us here in the crossbench".
