Shooting Pool and Talking Election Chances With Senator Ricky Muir

I set up the billiard rack on the distinctly uneven pool table out the back of a pub in Victoria's eastern suburbs.

At the other end of the table, Senator Ricky Muir chalks the end of his pool cue. "It's been a long time since I've played," he says. "This might not go too well."

"In that case, let's play for money," I say.

Muir is in an upbeat mood, despite the uphill battle he's facing. After preference deals famously saw him elected in 2013 on only 0.51 percent of the primary vote, he was immediately seen a joke, a hoon from the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party (AMEP) who had only been elected thanks to an electoral accident, and was now in way over his head.

But the laughter stopped pretty quickly. Muir took his position very seriously, and approached each issue with sincere thoughtfulness. He famously reversed his position on same-sex marriage, going from someone who once said he would disown his own son if he was gay, to passionately arguing for marriage equality. In a world that punishes "flip floppers," Muir owned his education as a badge of honour.

It was a moment we might not see again. The Upper House recently rushed through changes to the way Senators are elected, and the preference structures have been changed in a way that will make it almost impossible for a candidate from a smaller party to get elected.

Muir was, of course, opposed to the changes, but his reasons aren't as self-serving as you might assume. He seems more frustrated by how rushed the process was.

"The public hearing was only four hours, no more than twelve hours after public submissions had closed," Muir says. "How they managed to digest over a hundred submissions that were handed in only twelve hours before hand, then hold a committee…" He trails off, shaking his head.

Muir is frustrated that "the biggest change we've had in our electoral system in 32 years" was rushed, and that votes will dissolve once the first choice disappears. "Under this new system, votes are going to be wasted, and that's completely against our constitution of having candidate-based elections."

The lunchtime rush has tapered off, so luckily there's almost no one left in the bar to witness us artlessly bashing dense plastic balls around the table. We're pretty evenly matched, in that neither of us can play.

The strategy they're taking for this election is different to the 2013 election. This time, Muir is a known quantity, undoubtedly more famous than the party he belongs to. It's led to a very clever strategy: this year, party logos are being allowed on the Senate voting forms. The AMEP has rebranded with a monochromatic caricature of Muir's face, so that people know it's him they're voting for. It's an ingenious move, but Muir seems a bit embarrassed at being the literal face of his party.

They reached out to the electorate to gather their thoughts, and there was a positive public response to the logo. "So no shaving 'til after the election," he says with a grin. He encourages people to use the hashtag #lookforthebeard on social media.

"What I didn't realise at the time is that might actually pick up a certain percentage of the donkey vote," he says. It's intriguing to think that some may consider putting a "one" next to the Bob Jane T-Mart-style logo a form of protest. There would be something appropriately poetic about that.

It's a subversive tactic, but it's one that reflects the legitimacy that Muir has earned in 22 short months. "Rather than going out and opening the pages of the chequebook and saying 'this is what I'll do if I'm reelected', I can't do that, I'm not the government of the day. I think voters are also sick of chequebook warfare. Instead of going out with the dollars and cents, I'll try to come in with common sense. There's a buzzword for you, I don't usually do that."

"That's too many words for a three-word slogan," I say.

"Sorry about that," he says. "I like to do things differently."

Muir dismisses rumours he might join a major party. "I've seen the way the major parties work, and how a lot of the elected representatives of those parties are hamstrung by party politics and party lines. What they say publicly and what they say behind closed doors may be two totally different things, and I just could not do politics that way."

At this point, I'm wishing we had actually played for money. I've sunk all my billiards and have my eyes set on the 8-ball. Muir still has three balls left. "It's not looking good," he says. "Maybe," I say. "You've faced worse odds than this."

I have to ask, who in Canberra would he most want to go out for a beer with?

As with every issue, Muir puts a lot of thought into his response. "I get along quite well with Senator David Bushby, the Chief Government Whip. He's a motoring enthusiast as well, so we have plenty of good conversations. I get along quite well with Senator Lehonhjelm as well. Senator Madigan and myself also have many great conversations. I've got a lot of time for him. He doesn't drink beer though, so he might have to have a squash or something while I have a beer. Look, there are a few people in there who I definitely do have time for, outside of Parliament."

And who's the person he'd least want to have a beer with?

"Uh… Lee Rhiannon's in my bad books at the moment."

Even though he's trying to remain hopeful, he must have a Plan B if the reelection doesn't go his way.

"Not an iron-clad Plan B, but one way or another I think I'll continue to be a thorn in their side." He suggests becoming a lobbyist, trying for State Parliament, or maybe returning to Federal Parliament.

"I think if I don't get reelected, I would just want to close the door behind me and drive away as fast as I can and never look back. The reality is I have an understanding now of how the system works and I'm learning every single day. It would be a shame to let that knowledge go to waste, and I think being involved in public submissions into senate inquiries, trying to get information on the record, trying to actually lobby other politicians about big issues that are important to me, I think is something that is extremely likely highly to happen if I don't get reelected at all."

Despite his rusty pools skills, Muir quickly sinks his remaining billiards. We're mano-a-mano now, and he gets the better of me as the 8-ball disappears down the corner pocket. Maybe he does have a chance after all.

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