One of the most quoted lines from Paul Hogan’s “Crocodile Dundee” was: “That’s not a knife… This is an knife!”
And so to channel Hoges, “That’s not a referendum. It’s not even a plebiscite”
Now I don’t know if I’m correct here but – using Malcolm Roberts as a role model – I’m going to assert something anyway.
You know, Malcolm Roberts. “I was never a British citizen but I renounced my British citizenship by sending an email saying that if I am, then I don’t want to be.” Which is rather like sending a letter to the bank and telling them that you don’t think you have a debt but if you do, you don’t want one.
Anyway, there’s a little problem with the Liberal’s position. And it’s an even bigger problem than the one Matthew Guy has in Victoria. Matty Guy, for those of you who haven’t heard, had a dinner with a mafia boss. I should use the word “alleged” because there’s no proof that he ate anything. Or, indeed, no proof that he drank any of the Grange that was on offer. But Mr Guy has gone on the front foot and assured us all that – even though he’s ready to run the state after the next election – he had no idea that someone giving his name as “Antonio” could actually be sometimes called “Tony”. Even when the man was introduced at the dinner as “Cousin Tony”…
Mr Guy was very angry because he didn’t do anything wrong. He assured us all that nobody talked about donations; he only went because he was offered dinner and it was an offer he couldn’t refuse! So Mr Guy has referred himself to IBAC. This will, of course, clear him of any illegal activity. However, this is the equivalent of me going to a strip club, spending $500 and then telling my wife that I’ve referred myself to the police so unless they find something to charge me with, she has no reason to criticise me.
But moving on from the Family Guy, I’d like to point out that the reason that the Liberals won’t allow a free vote in Parliament is that they went to the last election promising a plebiscite. And once the plebiscite was rejected by the Senate, they couldn’t simply put it to a vote.
Senate votes no to plebiscite, so we’re going to use the ABS to run a…
Exactly what are the ABS going to run? Because they don’t have the legislative power to run an election. They’re not the AEC. And it’s this little loophole that’s enabling the government to hold the… is it a plebiscite? Because if it’s not, then they’re not keeping their promise. Which is their stated reason for not holding a free vote.
Confused?
I know that I am.
But at least Turnbull told us today that he called all the energy companies together and told them that he was very cross and that they needed to do something and if they didn’t, then he’d be forced to consider doing something himself. And, just as he told us yesterday about marriage equality, he had more important things to worry about. Like how much longer he can stay as PM without feeling the need to punch Tony Abbott.
I don’t know what the postal vote will be, but I suspect that it’s not officially a plebiscite. And I know that when the results are in, Tony Abbott will be pointing out that because there were only X number of votes, then a majority of people didn’t vote for change. It was only a majority of those who voted.
