Federal Parliament goes into recess at the end of this week and, when it returns at the end of August, it will be without a Democrat for the first time in more than 31 years.

Australia will have all but lost a party which it was hoped would be a viable alternative to the two major parties.

It was founder Don Chipp who coined the delightful phrase "keeping the bastards honest" when he first formed the Democrats in the late 1970s. He believed Australians needed a third voting option if they were to get the best out of their democracy.

And, for 20 years, the Democrats were able to exert some influence on the national agenda. At their peak the party held nine Senate positions as well as seats in some state parliaments.

Governments of all persuasions have had to woo the Democrats in order to move their agendas forward, often with great compromise.

But the influence of the party has waned over the past decade.

The Democrats have not won a new seat in parliament since 2001.

While they will still exist as a party (a re-incarnation has been mooted), it ceases to exist in a parliamentary sense.

For whatever reason, the Democrats lost favour with the electorate.

Now, it is five Greens and two independents that the government will need to win over if it is to get a majority in the senate.

Despite increasing concerns about climate change and global warming, it is unlikely that the electorate will take to the Greens as a serious third party option.

They are still seen by too many voters as extreme in their policies.

Which means the departure of the Democrats is a sad time for Australian politics.

We look forward to the day when we will again have a strong third voice in parliament.

We hope it happens sooner rather than later.