Q&A; had one of its most bracing confrontations on Monday night - Jacqui Lambie in an hour-long brawl with her natural urge to leap from the chair and sing We Don't Need Another Hero.
There was also a pretty willing blue between the senator from Tasmania and a fellow panellist whose mistake was to publicly explore the popular theory that Jacqui Lambie gives two-bob watches a bad name.
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Q&A;: Lambie ignites fiery exchange
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie took on seemingly every other panellist during a heated discussion that ranged from childcare to sharia law. Vision: ABC TV
I have this weird feeling that Jacquie won't be won over by this #qanda
— Ben Pobjie (@benpobjie) February 13, 2017
If you missed it, well, poke about a bit in the dark recesses of the internet and you're sure to find it posted somewhere. It was all about - you'll never guess! - Muslims and associated feelings that ensure we will spend the rest of our lives watching Senator Lambie complete her Theological studies live on Q&A;. But we'll get to the guts of the shouting match between Lambie and Yassmin Abdel-Magied, her exasperated foe, later.
First, to the reminder the show delivered of what an exciting time it is to be a conservative politician in Australia. The vital question before us: who will be our answer to Donald Trump?
The nation waits, on tenterhooks. Will it be Cory Bernardi, who has recently shown a Trump-like verve for blowing up his own party and quite enjoying it? Or maybe Pauline Hanson, who would most dearly love to no longer be Australia's answer to questions on Family Feud about "things that wake you up screaming in the middle of the night."
And then there is Lambie, who returned to the Q&A; panel to stake her claim.
Until now, Lambie has been the answer mostly to the prayers of people who speak almost entirely in vowel sounds but she has other strings to her boaoaew. And while we can't be certain exactly what was going on with the senator from Tasmania, it was hard not to conclude she was advertising herself as the answer to problems with the electricity grid. Leading by example, Lambie appeared to have come equipped with her own power supply - and ever the practical soul, she would turn it up and down as required by circumstances. For brief moments she would stare intently ahead as if trying to work out a door handle, and at others she would be leaping about in her seat loathing everyone and everything in sight with an enthusiasm that suggested she had been freshly injected with some of the nation's finest kilowatts.
"A nationalist, they call me," she told host Tony Jones at one point. "Love my country. No doubt about that."
Jacqui, I think we've established that you have no idea what you're talking about. #qanda
— Clementine Ford (@clementine_ford) February 13, 2017
Bless her. Lambie loves saying things like this, and doing it with the confidence that she has said something profound, while also certain she has delivered a smackdown to all those non-nationalists who don't love their country. No doubt about that. Remind you of anyone? Let's not draw direct comparisons with the Orange One in Washington; let's rather imagine Lambie was auditioning to play Cher in an RSL tribute act - one could safely say she knows all the words to If I Could Turn Back Time.
It's hard to judge on one performance, but the viewer at home certainly sensed an extra edge and noise and nastiness as Lambie unveiled her repertoire - and that's saying something given she already had a reputation for carrying on like a blender with the lid off. If she wasn't auditioning, she was doing a good job of showing other people how to go about it. She'd point, she'd wave, she'd shout, she'd swivel, she'd get her Fs mixed up with her THs - but she would never be less than thorthfright in her opinions.
Which brings us to that nasty confrontation with Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
It began with Jones asking of Lambie: "Did you say to the advocate in Tasmania that we should follow Donald Trump's excel by deporting all Muslims who support Sharia Law."
Lambie: "Yep, that's correct. Anybody who supports Sharia Law should be deported."
SHARIA LAW dictates that Muslims MUST FOLLOW the LAWS of the land in which they reside!! 💁🏻#Fact#QandA
— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) February 13, 2017
I'd like to see Jackie attack my faith & cultural beliefs as an indigenous man of this beautiful country #QandA
— Nathan Appo (@Elusive_Sausage) February 13, 2017
And then we were off - Abdel-Magied asking of Lambie "Do you know what it is?", Lambie saying she did, Abdel-Magied pushing back in defence of her faith, until it ended at high volume and cross-purposes, fingers being jabbed on the desk and in the air.
Ambitiously, Abdel-Magied said: "The fact is, Jacqui…"
Lambie, putting a fearful dent in the Q&A; desk: "The fact is we have one law in this country and it is the Australian law. It is not Sharia Law, not in this country. Not in my day."
And so it went on, Jones finally forced to intervene to end the conflagration.
Jones: "Can I say shouting at each other is not going to help."
But we weren't quite done. Not long after, up came Trump and his Muslim ban.
Abdel-Magied: "Oh, girl."
Lambie: "Stop playing the victim."
Abdel-Magied: "Please can I ask you this…"
Lambie: "Your ban got lifted. Get over it."
Congratulations Senator, you're through to the next round.