The chorus of “You’re The Voice” begins:
“You’re the voice, try and understand itMake a noise and make it clear…_”
One of the No supporters on social media was suggesting that this was a terrible own goal by the Yes campaign because it was suggesting that it was hard to understand but given the slogan “Don’t Know, Vote No”, I’m not so sure that they’re right.
I mean, the slogan “Don’t Know, Vote No” has a subtext that if you’re ignorant, come and join Pauline and Andrew Bolt and Tony Abbott because you’re our sort of person…
Ah yes, I’m typical of those elites who think they know better just because they didn’t run a fish and chip shop or drop out or university or knight a Duke. Actually I would think that giving a knighthood to the Queen’s husband is about as elitist as one can get but whatever…
Last week was a bad week for Labor and the Voice according to Newspoll which had Labor slipping by two percent in a recent poll and a majority against the Voice. While it’s true that this has probably been the worst week for Albanese since he was elected, it’s also another time when the media reported a poll as though there’s no such thing as the three percent margin of error. And, while we’re at it, let’s all ignore the fact that polls have been less than perfect when picking election winners. Polls aren’t useless but it’s bit like getting the score at three quarter time and trying to work out which football team will win. There’s a lot still to happen, so if one team has is a little closer than they were it doesn’t mean that much to the final outcome.
But the big news of the week was Peter Dutton’s amazing stroke of genius where he promised a second poll on First Nations recognition when he’s Prime Minister.
On one level this is a bit like me promising a free electric vehicle to every driver once I’m PM; it’s a bold promise but I’m never going to be PM so what the hell…
However, it does raise a few interesting points. For a start, it does beg the question is this like the recognition that Howard promised or is it more like the recognition that Abbott promised? Or are we talking about the plan from Malcolm Turnbull. Did Scott Morrison mention it at all or did he say, “Look mate, I don’t hold a referendum…”
Whatever, I’m sure the plan is to try to win over those who think that there should be some sort of recognition but are a bit confused about what a Voice looks like because the No campaign have been suggesting that nobody knows what a Voice looks like because you can’t see a Voice, you can only hear one so the idea of putting one in the Constitution is at odds with what the people writing the Constitution wanted because they expected the Indigenous population to do the decent thing and disappear so we’d be going against the wishes of our forefathers who weren’t racist and it’s outrageous to suggest that we should call anyone a racist unless they’re one of those people voting Yes.
But Dutton has opened another risk by suggesting a future referendum.
I want to make it clear that not all people voting No are racists. However, I do notice that some of the people who are making incredibly racist remarks are very upset when anyone suggests just because they’ve said something bigoted that they’re a racist, complaining that it’s the Yes voters who are sanction apartheid and we’ll end up losing our backyards to people who never bothered to invent the Hills Hoist in 60,000 years.
And it’s these people that form the hard NO. If they turn on Dutton because he dares to support recognition to people who we don’t like because if it wasn’t for them nobody would be calling us racist, then Dutton may have a whole new set of problems. What will Pauline think about this second referendum idea? How will t go down with Andrew Bolt?
At the moment, the media is giving a lot of time to people arguing a case against the proposed change – supposedly on the grounds of balance. I’ve noticed that they are a number of Indigenous people being interviewed who are members of organisations which aren’t exactly high profile. There was a whole story on what Tony Mundine thought. However, the only Indigenous people seeming to be given exposure are high profile proponents of the Yes case like Linda Burney or Thomas Mayo. However, if there’s one thing the media like, it’s conflict and if there’s any sort of a brouhaha on the No proponents then it might all shift to the divisions between them. Sort of robbing Peter to pay Pauline.
The other possibility is that by the time the vote comes around, that some people will be so sick of the conversation that they idea that we’ll have to go through the whole thing again if Dutton gets elected that they may vote Yes just to get it out of the way.
And amazingly, the anti-Voice voters seem upset that the Yes campaign have managed to obtain approval to use a 1986 hit, complaining that, by giving it, John Farnham sold out, even though he wasn’t paid. Someone even posted that they’d thrown all their John Farnham records in the bin, which – given they’ve already purchased them before CDs were a thing, won’t cost Whispering Jack a cent. (Wondering if I should. add what records are for younger readers… Mm, also wondering if I should explain what CDs are…)
While it does seem like an uphill battle for the Voice to succeed, I wonder how many people will go into the polling booth thinking that this won’t get up so I might vote Yes anyway because I don’t really want to be on the side of Hanson and friends.
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What some of the complainers are too thick to realise is that JF owns the song so can do with it what he likes, when he likes.
A friend of a friend suggested to me that the Voice is apartheid…. really shows a lot of understanding of what that blot on humanity was all about.
I hear that the Liberals are offering Wazza Mundine a Senate seat (to replace Marise Payne who is retiring – you may like me have thought that she retired several years ago).
Wazza was President of the Australian Labor Party for a while and was later to be parachuted in as a Liberal in the safe NSW seat of Gilmore but the electors thought otherwise.
If this actually comes to be it could be one of the worst moves made by Peter Dutton in his far from illustrious career.
Oh Dear ! It looks as though Julian Assange has to confront another setback to gaining his freedom : Barnaby Joyce, Monique Ryan and four other Australian politicians will go to Washington DC to lobby on his behalf later this month.
Mercenary Mundine?He’d be a good fit for the LNP…full of incompetent arseholes,all out for themselves..At the current rate they are heading for obscurity.Policeman Pete leading the charge into the wilderness.
Yeah Rossleigh, I luv logic.
Yesterday The Shovel advised that Dutton Proposes Annual “Three Cheers for Indigenous Australians” As Voice Alternative
They must’ve got access to his diary.
I just luv logic.
On this incessant polling the US right wing/centrist The Bulwark (related to William F. Buckley who helped drag the GOP back to the centre a couple of generations ago) guest said the ‘polls only measure current noise in media’, while pollster Lynton Crosby himself said ignore polls….
I’m still yet to meet anyone who has even been in a polling population sample, let alone understand how they select them (some restricted to landlines?); that’s just one weakness. Locally can observe how a (narrow) theme or dog whistle is promoted negatively or positively for a week or month in our RW media cartel, then attitudes polled (inc. push polling), then another week of discussing results or outputs…..
An English friend runs a qualitative research group and spoke of how suboptimal most polling is, while they use panels for social research on broad project topics (e.g. Deutsche Bahn), the likes of YouGov (founded by former Tory MInister Zahawi) does numerous polls, but self selection i.e. you can register to do polls, hence, can be dominated by pensioners, unemployed and stay at home people, and also receive gift cards etc.
Like media reporting now has become mostly desk based, using social media ‘scraping’ and the internet, polls have become a perverse shortcut for media content, while pretending to inform, yet manipulating people via media.
Well, Andrew, it’s like I said about the score at three quarter time being basically useless…
If a side is fifty points up, it might indicate something, but usually it only indicates a slight likelihood if one believes that the score is at least the one from the actual game and not something someone made up to frustrate the other side…
As always, a delightful read, and a giggle. Thanks Rossleigh!
AIMN followers should pray for Boofhead Duddo to be elected life long leader of his majesty’s Loyal Opposition supported by his deputy $us$san LeyZee so that the Albanese LABOR can get on with the important business of running Parliament for the long term direct benefit of Australian voters.
“[T]this is a bit like me promising a free electric vehicle to every driver once I’m PM; it’s a bold promise but I’m never going to be PM so what the hell…”
.
Aw shucks Rossleigh ….. and here’s me busy planning the political strategy for the AIMN Party to bring Australian voters the too rare opportunity of voting for a representative having a proven record of positive Australian orientated thinking that will return control of Australian natural resources plus the processing & manufacturing of those assets back within Australian jurisdiction.
.
Then I am reminded of the AFL game early in the Sydney Swans history when a Melbourne team was 72 points behind at three quarter time and played on to win the game.
.
I made a comment in a previous post by yourself Rossliegh, the comment was an expression of my opinion which indicated that I was undecided but tended toward the NO vote.
I quickly became the victim of the mob, an assumption that I “will” in fact vote NO. And Yes I am still largely undecided.
I am reminded of the Western, where the good guy barricades himself in the jail to defend the rights of an alleged killer.
Perhaps
To kill a mockingbird
Just had a piece of Lib shit show up in the letter box from the Tasmania Liberal Senate Team comprising, Jonno Duniam (never heard of him so I gather he’s a nobody and useless waste of space), Wendy Askew, Claire Chandler (hard core RWNJ. That’s hilarious, clicked on the link to her web page and Bitdefender blocked it as suspicious.) and Richard Colbeck (yet another usless waste of space).
The flier is all about the Voice and how horrible it would be and follows The Spud line about not enough detail…yyaawwnn…and ends with the extremely annoying “If you don’t know, say no.” crap. It finishes with their signatures and at the very bottom of the page is – “PS. If you need a postal vote, we have included an application for your convenience.”
Bloody wankers!
The back of the flier gets to the nasty scare tactics bullshit with “10 Reasons to say NO!”
This voice is legally risky.
There are NO details.
And my favourite almost racist bit –
It divides us.
It won’t help indigenous Australians (only the LNP can do that).
No issue is beyond its scope.
6.It risks delays and dysfunction.
It opens the door to activists.
It will be costly and bureaucratic.
This voice will be permanent (well, duh, it will be in the constitution)
There are better ways forward (and being the LNP we will do everything to drag it out basically forever.)
Oh yes, the reply paid envelope for postal vote application is addressed:
Senator Johnathon Duniam
Senator for Tasmania
Reply Paid 83639
HOBART TAS 7001
Gee, I wonder if we are expecting them not look at the filled in form and note down names, addresses, etc for them to enter into sLimey…I mean Liberal databases.
Pardon the following: Fucking bunch of wankers!