Is there any hope for our nation when our senators speak like this?

Just yesterday, Barnaby Joyce said he was worried Australian politics had become too sterile and politically correct. Well, he may be pleased to see that – for this senator at least – there’s no danger of that happening.

Libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm has called someone the C-bomb in an exchange on Twitter, offering further proof that perhaps politicians shouldn’t be allowed near any smartphones or other devices without a team of advisors nearby.

The backbencher was commenting on Penny Wong’s statement about Peter Dutton’s text slip up, in which he sent a message to a News Limited political editor calling her a “mad f*^&ing witch”.

Below is a copy of the exchange between Leyonhjelm and his provocateur – call us prudes, but we have blocked out the stronger language:

While Peter Dutton seems to have got away with accidentally sending the text, which was intended for disgraced Jamie Briggs, this exchange between Senator Leyonhjelm and, presumably, a member of the voting public has us wondering, where have manners gone?

It’s one thing to be a bit of a character, and we all know that politicians swear (hello, Kevin Rudd), but naming someone in this way is beyond the pale. And doing it on social media where it is there for all to see is just plain dumb.

However, the senator himself seems nonplussed. When contacted for a comment by the Herald Sun, a spokesman for Senator Leyonhjelm had this to say:

A spokesman for @DavidLeyonhjelm told @TheHeraldSun: “He’s a rude man, what more can I say?” https://t.co/vKAHJYGkov

— Rob Harris (@rharris334) January 5, 2016

Is there any hope for the rest of the nation when our leaders behave and speak like this?

Do you think Senator Leyonhjelm is out of line with his bad language? Should politicians be more careful what they say in the public space or is it free-for-all?