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Senator David Leyonhjelm's Social Media Game Is Totally Wild

Senator David Leyonhjelm's Social Media Game Is Totally Wild
Facebook/David Leyonhjelm

Like him or loathe him, Senator David Leyonhjelm is easily one of the most interesting characters in the current federal parliament.

The Liberal Democrats senator from NSW is pro-marijuana, anti-tax, pro-marriage equality, anti-nanny state and pro-gun. He admits he has smoked dope -- and yes, he did inhale -- happily says his party's candidates are "freaks" and has starred in a video for the National Rifle Association.

He also has an absolutely wild social media game.

Leyonhjelm is one of the independent crossbench senators at risk of losing his seat at the next election due to changes to Senate voting laws, and is seemingly trying to attract attention to his cause and policies. It's working. A series of unusual videos and graphics have made their way to his Facebook and Twitter pages in recent weeks, including where he tries to microwave a fish in a shoe, smokes a cigar on camera, and waves around a fistful of $100 bills.

The latest clip, 'Cooking With David', sees the senator making a point about the mooted "sugar tax." He tries to cook some fish in a microwave, placing it in a running shoe with some salad greens. His point? "Jamie Oliver is worse at public policy than I am at cooking. And I am a terrible cook."

We covered his cigar smoking video a few weeks ago, but just days later, he had uploaded another clip of him speaking to the camera while waving $5000 worth of $100 notes, appealing for lower taxes.

The senator -- who in 2014 told Fairfax Media he had accepted donations from tobacco company Phillip Morris -- has spent the last week arguing against proposed hikes in tobacco taxes, speaking at length in parliament about how he believes raising cigarette prices would disproportionately affect the poor. He also seems to enjoy a cigar himself.

In honour of marijuana lovers on 4/20 (April 20), Leyonhjelm's advisor posted this image to Twitter on Wednesday:

Oh, and if you forgot, there was this memorable time he called someone a "c--t" on Twitter.

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