Referenda
If they weren’t busy washing their hair, watching paint dry or rubbing lard on the cat’s boil, more Australians would have got along to the small soiree in Canberra earlier this month to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the failed republican referendum.
The event was entitled “Ten years on, it’s time to mend the nation’s heart”, taking its cue from Malcolm Turnbull’s pointed referendum night sledge against his eventual boss, Prime Minister John Howard, over his allegedly sinister role in skewering the yes vote.
A small ceremony was held on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra – Canberra being a terrifically appropriate choice as, from all the states and territories, the ACT was on its own in voting yes - where a statement was read urging both sides of politics to revisit the case for constitutional change.
Continue reading "Republican nation bored into apathy by republicans" »
We forget to consult history at our peril.
It is very relevant to the Rudd Government’s latest assault on the sovereignty of the people – that is the proposal of its hand picked committee, headed by Father Frank Brennan, to impose upon them a charter of rights masquerading under the title of a Human Rights Act.
The last time Labor tried for a bill of rights it was by way of a Constitutional amendment to insert a mini bill of rights with the aim of continual enlargement.
Continue reading "Bill of rights is a dangerous lawyers’ picnic" »
Latest 2 of 30 comments
View all comments-
What says:
Here’s Brownyn talking about Labor pushing through legislation with their ‘numbers’, when her government took advantage of a Senate and House majority to impose WorkChoices! Give it up Bronwyn, you’re out of touch and out of time. Read more »
-
stephen says:
A lot of legislation changes the value of language, but not of life. Having read the proposal, a sensible person would deem it unneccesary. Read more »
Yesterday we blew the froth off a couple in honour of our sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, and observed her birthday with a package of pieces on the republic which, overall, concluded there appears to be no mass groundswell for another crack at constitutional reform.
Even the republicans are worried that our pollies are simply waiting for the Queen to die so that the issue can somehow resolve itself. Follow the links below to read the pieces.
Latest 2 of 8 comments
View all comments-
Jonathan says:
The last referendum was a complete farce. Any question this important should be posed in simple terms, i.e. 1. Should Australia be a Republic? Y/N; 2. If Yes, should the President (a) be elected by the people, or (b) appointed by politicians? etc. Not the rubbish proposed by Howard where… Read more »
-
Andrew says:
There is one basic and over riding fact that cannot be changed by any rhetoric, logic or emotion from the Monarchists in this debate - the head of state of Australian can never be an Australian. It is a title inherited by someone in England! There are not many advanced… Read more »
The losers in 1999 have the utter gall to demand we abandon our oldest public holiday celebrating our oldest institution, one central to our Westminster system.
On almost every Queen’s Birthday republicans usually rush into the media. This year they’re saying putting republicanism on the political agenda will help the nation recover from the recession. Without a scintilla of evidence, they say the growing interest in Anzac Day is because of republican sentiment.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone. In the nineties they were saying a republic would overcome unemployment, improve trade, free artistic talent, increase immigration, and enhance our standing in Asia.
Continue reading "Republican losers would scrap our oldest holiday" »
Latest 2 of 21 comments
View all comments-
Daniel Urquhart says:
Yes, Trevor, because the constitutional monarchy has SOOOO protected the rights of unborn children, ensured active participating in politics and is so anti-scoailist (I mean, lord, most monarchists are hoarding Keynesians’). As I said, look into citizen initated referenda - the realm where reason prevails. Jesus believed people should get… Read more »
-
Trevor says:
The arguement by those pushing for a republic the likes of Bob Brown is soley because thay want to change our Constitution, and to do one thing and one thing only, and that is to remove all that our Christian forefathers placed in the Constitution to protect us from all… Read more »
The republic debate has evolved since 1999. Traditional approaches to the question still have bite, including general arguments for or against monarchy/republic as well as the nationalist appeal of a republic in Australia and the cost to the public purse of constitutional change.
But the recent Senate hearings into Senator Bob Brown’s bill to hold a republic plebiscite at the time of the next election displayed a number of new developments.
The inevitable first new aspect of the debate has been about the meaning of the 1999 referendum result. An important thread of monarchist argument, often tried in letters to the editor, has been that the matter has been decided because the people have spoken. Republicans have had their chance and should abandon their cause.
Continue reading "Waiting for Queen’s death soft option for republic" »
Latest 2 of 6 comments
View all comments-
Justin Davies says:
With all that is going on in our country not to mention the rest of the world, Could you please tell me why we are bothering to discuss this non-issue?Joe average Australian does not care, I promise you. From what I can gather, the people of this country would much… Read more »
-
Malcolm Kerr says:
Erm excuse me? David Flint *is* upholding “the constitutional laws of Australia”! It is people like John Warhurst who want to change them. (But that’s not treason, it’s just silly). So goodbye to him and cornelius lenihan? Read more »
Here’s the worst political ad ever made in Australia:
It’s not a very good version, I know. It’s grainy, and the words don’t line up properly.
But you get the general idea: the two worst prime ministers of our modern history, delivering a boring and patronising monologue about something which should have been exciting and inclusive.
Continue reading "Clapped-out baby-boomers have killed the republic" »
Latest 2 of 34 comments
View all comments-
LG says:
Prince Charles has also been trained from infancy for the job. I see no merit in him leading us. Read more »
-
Alexander Fishburner says:
The funny thing about that video is it has Malcolm Fraser’s lips moving but Gough Whitlam’s words coming out. How apt! Read more »
Slack-jawed Queenslanders from Logan, Roma and Warwick, brooding hermits in remote South Australian hamlets who can’t explain the sudden disappearance of their parents, Tasmanians who get on a bit too well with their cousins…stand aside the lot of you.
As of this weekend’s referendum, Western Australia is officially the most backward state in Australia. The state that’s synonymous with sun has embraced darkness for an extraordinary third time, with a majority of sandgropers siding with the cows and the curtains to reject the devilish communist plot known as daylight savings.
Continue reading "Official: WA now the most backward state in Australia" »
Latest 2 of 3 comments
View all comments-
Shelly says:
And WA had the balls and the brains to give bad ALP state government the finger. For example; NSW keep voting for state ALP. It doesn’t look like there’s any brains there to follow This reminds me of a joke I was sent. The gist of it is on old… Read more »
-
happy sandgroper says:
“...to reject the devilish communist plot known as daylight savings.” P.S. It’s not a communist plot but a neo-Puritan one: “I object to being told that I am saving daylight when my reason tells me that I am doing nothing of the kind… At the back of the Daylight Saving… Read more »
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
Gaga’s go-go stick is too big for little minds
A woman in her late thirties leaps out of her seat in a muggy Sydney Entertainment Centre, screaming… Read more
Most commented
The talk of the town
- What voters really think of Tony Abbott's religion 278
- Nation's top scientists agree: the climate is changing now 171
- The Senate protects us from bad government 86
- Don’t bring your kids and other supermarket rules 80
- The R18+ classification is not about children 68
- Signs you may have a political ideology disorder 43
- Obama stands up Australia 29
- The great stink over cut-price toilet paper 24
- Woman who wants to be world's fattest reveals more 23
- Old age starts at 59. What? 20
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Tthe Harbour Bridge opened today in 1932. Got a favourite bridge memory or story? Share it here: http://bit.ly/9AEvKt#thepunch
Don't bring your children and other "rules" of supermarket shopping. Got a gripe or two of your own? Add to my list: http://bit.ly/dBWydm
Gentle jabs to the ribs
Breaking news: Something is going on
Is this the greatest ever send-up of 24-hour news? Warning: contains strong language and hilarity. From… Read more
Latest 2 of 22 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment