The increasingly reckless performance of some independent and “microparty” senators in Canberra has left keen parliament watchers shaking their heads and given the rest of the country even more reason than usual to tune out completely.

Perhaps worse still, the attention focused on Clive Palmer, Jacqui Lambie and Ricky Muir et al looks to have inspired yet another comeback attempt from Pauline Hanson.

It’s often said that a country gets the parliament it deserves, but surely Australia does not deserve this. Working out who to blame for the mess, though, is not an easy task.The rise of the microparties - particularly in the Senate - is seen as a response to the community’s antipathy towards the two major political players, the Labor Party and Coalition.

But by moving away from the major parties, voters have given extraordinary power to a few individuals who have done nothing to show they are up to the task.

Ms Lambie’s petulant declaration that she would vote against all government bills until there was a new pay offer for the armed forces may have held some populist appeal but lacked the maturity we expect from a senator who will be paid $190,000 a year for six years.

Ms Lambie, and all her Senate colleagues, should consider every bill on its merits, all the while seeking to do the best for the country.

For all the faults that come with a two-party system, at least voters have a pretty good idea on where each member of the Labor Party or Coalition would stand on most major issues.That provides the sort of certainty we need when issues are debated in parliament, rather than having major decisions swing on the whims of a few individuals.

But the major parties held sway for decades in Australia and only have themselves to blame for losing the public’s confidence.

Sadly, too many voters have approached recent elections believing they could hurt the major parties with their protest vote. As we’re learning now, though, those protest votes might end up hurting the rest of Australia a lot more.