Why do Australian referendums usually fail?
By Allan Richardson
Unless Erwin Schrödinger and Dr Anne Twomey have secretly colluded, I’m not a constitutional lawyer. Nor am I even a conveyancing clerk. The nearest I come to law offices is to sign compulsory documents, when electronic signing is unavailable. That establishes my law credentials. Although I am seeking involvement in the burgeoning APT (Australian Pub Testers).
It’s said that it’s the people who make the ultimate decision in a referendum. This is superficially true, but the wording of the referendum is the real driver. This is common knowledge to the proponents of both sides of the argument of course, but as soon as the major political parties decided that it was their responsibility to join the fray and to drive everyone into making political decisions, it became as dishonest and grubby as an election campaign! As always, the white noise obscured the facts. Dutton will never recover from Widening the Gap, but so what? He’s just another LNP black hole.
The failure of the referendum will not be the shock to the First Nations community that has been mooted. It becomes just another disappointment in an endless catalogue of FNP subjugation and disenfranchisement.
The real loser of a referendum fail is the Australian electorate. The opportunity for major reforms to our defective social cohesion has just been squandered by both major political parties, and both need to be held accountable.
It may be counter-intuitive but compare Albanese with Netanyahu. The latter is said to have deliberately strengthened Hamas, the theory being that he was seeking justification for an all-out assault on the Palestinians, so as to reverse their ‘illegal’ occupation once and for all. Albanese deliberately insisted on bundling the Voice with Constitutional recognition of the FNP, and refused to consider any changes to the wording, knowing that this applied the kiss of death to the entire process, while blowing millions of dollars and many months of government commitment. And as expected, Dutton did what Dutton always does, and said No to everything. The No campaign was never going to have a head-to-head debate, as it had no substantive argument, so the outcome was pre-determined. Do not for one minute imagine that the Prime Minister will be outraged, disillusioned or aghast after the failure of the ‘reform’. It’s just the hocus-pocus of politics.
Why do we continually allow ourselves to be duped by those for whom we’ve entitled with our votes? Whilst we continue to elect party politicians who prioritise self and party ahead of their electorates, or even the national interest, we can no longer uphold our pretence at democracy.
The party-political shenanigans must stop. Vote Independent where possible. Even when it’s as unlikely as a Teal defeating a ‘popular’ sitting Treasurer. Oh, wait …
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12 comments
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andyfiftysix -
Allan -
Keitha Granville -
New England Cocky -
frances -
Canguro -
Fred -
Phil Pryor -
J Deacon -
leefe -
Allan -
wam
Return to home pagei can only comment about the last two referendums.
The first failed because Howard played dirty and deliberately worded it to fail. Played the divide and conquer card well.
This next one, i would say Dutton played the divide and conquer card.
Both of these characters i would say are the biggest wreckers of aspiration one could ever meet. Both did their darndest to screw the counrty for political points. With hind sight, Abbott would go the referendum way for same sex equality. He was just too clever by half. Opened his big mouth and was forced to eat his words.
Democracy fails again. It always seems that we are three steps behind and democracy takes a fall because of the nasty people we elect.
And to this day the conservatives roll out Howard’s ‘gun buy back’, the bipartisan bill that reflects the sum of lnp positive reforms.
Why are we so easily fooled? Ultimately we must take responsibility for failures. We elected them therefore we are responsible.
It wasn’t a difficult question – do we want to recognise and listen to our original inhabitants.
Anyone who has voted NO should NEVER be entitled to vote again – if one group isn’t to be heard then why should those who said NO be heard again !
SIMPLE
Independents get things done. Look at the present TEAL independents and the past Independents like Tony Windsor.
Looks like you nailed it re NSW Teal votes NECocky!
What a rout, very down in the mouth here at home.
Even the Koel won’t shut up! 🙁
Keitha Granville, you deliberately misconstrue the very essence of a democratically-based electoral system, whether it be state-based or federal or in this case, a rare referendum; the fact remains, people are asked to exercise a choice. Whether they vote in a way that satisfies your personal preference or not, they have the right, as registered voters, to exercise a choice. Voting in a way that doesn’t align with your views is not a reason to disenfranchise their right to vote…to argue otherwise is to move dangerously towards fascisitic thinking. I disagree with your POV entirely; you are utterly incorrect.
Perhaps the heat of the moment and the emotions involved have temporarily scrambled your capacity for rational thinking. Sleep on it before choosing to reply.
Well another referendum fail. The fear and loathing approach (No campaign) has again proved to be successful. I don’t mind different viewpoints, but planned lies, disinformation and misinformation should have consequences such as fines and imprisonment depending on the severity and amount. In Dutton’s case, he has spread so much crap it would qualify for multiple “life” terms.
One has to sleep with a disturbing image intruding on rest and repose, and it is a pustular potato, a tuberous termite, a regressive roach, a skinful of scanky scum, an abhorrent abscess, a strained, drained skull, a heartless harm merchant, a DUD.
Absolute tosh blaming Albanese for final wording and supposed lack of
consultation. It went thru a lot of consultation and a parliamentary committee. Dutton and local and imported RW forces plus RW media prevailed to enable racists to pretend they “didn’t want division”. And the wording originated from what the Uluru Statement requested.
It’s not about how the question was worded. It was, again, about the RW think tanks and media using carefully curated misinformation to lead the gullible (which is, unfortunately, the majority of the electorate) into doing what the right-whingers want.
It is beyond time to make lies illegal in political campaigns – including referenda.
Of course the right wing filth was responsible for the enthusiastic spread of the mis / disinformation, but the wording of the constitution could have been offered in two parts: Recognition and Voice to Parliament, and still maintained its integrity, At least the FNP would officially exist, even if some of the Yes voters were virtue signalling.
Despite the intransigence and deliberate lack of involvement by the lnp et al, the bottom line is that as the wording stood, it would not get up. There’s no need to prove that dutton is a racist; everyone knows that! He’s my federal representative 🙁
The operation was a success, but the patient died.
there was nothing that Albo said that expained why we needed a referendfum?
We started on page two when Australians can only read page one.
That wouldn’t have mattered if labor had just repeated ”advice from Aboriginal people from all over Australia’ no legal power and no poilitical interference just advice on Aboriginal matterS ONLY.
But he didn’t and needs a stint in the back bench.