And as an honest politician she is without peer.

I am an avid watcher of Parliamentary Question Time on the ABC and it is impressive the way she carries herself and her non-competitive manner.

As is the respect she is shown by the other members of the House of Representatives.

She is a class act and a shining example to other politicians who seem more intent on blaming the other side of politics rather than accepting their own shortcomings.

Her commitment to supporting the government when it comes to matters of confidence and supply is admirable.

A cynic might say the conservatives only show her so much respect because they need her.

But I don’t think so because Labor shows her as much respect.

But it can only go so far.

Ms McGowan must remember that the main reason she was elected was that the electorate was fed up with the way they were treated by the conservatives.

In other words the feeling was that the coalition treated them with scant regard because Indi was regarded as a seat they could never lose.

Ms McGowan proved that wrong with her surprising defeat of sitting member Sophie Mirabella and then blew it out of the water with her comfortable victory at the next election.

She is now perhaps the most powerful woman in the parliament.

But there is only a small window of opportunity to use that power – and her electorate expects her to use it accordingly.

Which means getting as many commitments from the coalition as she can to make sure her electorate is no longer ignored when it comes to handing out “goodies”.

As the late Fred Daly said, “If you’re going to be a dog, you might as well be an alsatian”.

Now I am not suggesting for a moment that she should behave like that.

But she can do a lot to help her electorate in terms of infrastructure and the like.

And while the subject of decentralisation is on the table, now is the time to strike.

Ms McGowan is still able to do much while helping to maintain stable government and improving the behaviour of her parliamentary peers.

However, if she is not prepared to do that, the question must be asked whether the electorate would be better off electing a conservative member of parliament – especially since she has given them such a big shock.

And even if Labor wins the next election they are likely to come knocking on her door for her support at some time in the future.

One thing she might look at doing – although it will not directly help her electorate – is to help sort out the citizenship mess that has plagued the country in recent times.

The first thing would be to lobby to have the constitution changed so as to only preclude those people born outside Australia, but make it automatic they have relinquished their foreign citizenship once they obtain Australian citizenship.

As far as I am concerned you should not be able to have dual citizenship anyway and you either have an Australian passport - and no other - or you don’t.

And you should have only five years to at least try for Australian citizenship – or out you go.

So Cathy there is plenty to do.

Go get ‘em Tiger.