In the absence of anything else to report:
• Former Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner formally retired from parliament on Wednesday, having relinquished the leadership in May in the wake of a heart attack. In contrast to its counterparts in Western Australia, who have still not fired the starter’s gun on a by-election for North West Central, the government has already announced August 20 as the date for the by-election in his Darwin seat in Fannie Bay, which he retained by 9.6% at the 2020 election.
• Labor’s five members of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters are Jagajaga MP Kate Thwaites, Hawke MP Sam Rae, Blair MP Shayne Neumann and South Australian Senators Karen Grogan and Marielle Smith, one of whom will be the committee’s chair. There were four opposition members and one from the Greens in the previous parliament, but I’m unclear as to how that will play out this time.
• The report of Operation Watts, the joint inquiry by Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission and Ombudsman into certain Labor state parliamentarians’ branch-stacking activities, offers a wealth of invaluable detail on the hard realities of the operation of modern political parties.
Adelaide +0.4%
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I told you all to invest in Adelaide Hills property. I suspect (haven’t seen the data yet) a lot of that rise is Hills property.
You can already see the coalition gearing up to oppose the referendum. The odious Michaela Cash inferring this is a “vanity project” for Albo and that any change to the constitution should not be taken lightly.
I hope this isn’t the case, but their track record on acting in the national interest isn’t good.
SSM debate is gonna b v diff to voice debate. For one, there is no possible religious based opposition to this.
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Don’t bet on it!
Oh no Stan Grant is on the panel!
BK, sleep over last night and bodies everywhere, no chance of turning on a TV (I had things thrown at me when I ground the coffee!) and can’t find my earphones to watch on the phone. Besides, if I watch on my phone it is a pain to switch out to read your (and others) PB comments on it which I value far more.
Confessions
Stan Grant will do his best to show that he IS the panel!
Vote YES for a voice to parliament. It’s a no-brainer.
A treaty process at the federal level MUST begin immediately though. This is at the heart of reconciliation.
Don’t bet on it!
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I know religions can find a repugnant religious argument in dark orifices of their books if they look hard enough. But on this, I anticipate some widespread traditional religious group support.
I’ve not given up hope on the Voice referendum, just made the point that it will be a major challenge in the face of opposition from loud and well-funded sources, even if the Opposition officially (although most likely half-heartedly) supports it. The Government will need to anticipate the arguments to be put against it, especially the spurious ones, and be ready with a way to counter them.
Regarding impossibility, ultimately things that don’t break the laws of physics only remain impossible until they’re done.
Is this the first time Insiders has had an all-Aboriginal panel?
A treaty process at the federal level MUST begin immediately though. This is at the heart of reconciliation.
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When you are attempting a run out, you need to first have the ball in your hand. The best way to do that is focus on the ball, not the stumps.
The metaphor is poor, in the case of the referendum just getting the ball in your hands is vital wicket taken.
Rex Douglassays:
Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 9:18 am
Who do you treat with?
IMHO, no matter how clearly and reasonably the proposition for a Voice is laid out by Albanese, the fate of the referendum will lay at the feet of the mainstream media.
He isn’t the first or the worst Figjam to be on the panel.
Ballantyne says:
Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 9:08 am
Frednk @ #326 Sunday, July 31st, 2022 – 8:12 am
Dr Doolittle
Evatt over performed, he only had to get one state to vote no.
Your story underlines how easy it is to get a no.
How so? A referendum needs a majority in at least 4 states to pass. If 5 states had voted yes with only one voting no, then the amendment to the Constitution would have passed.
I looked it up, your right.I thought it was all states vote yes. Evatt just got the no vote.
Albo not having a bar of Speers’ attempts to lead him down a cul de sac where the minutiae of detail will derail the referendum.
Watching the Albo interview.
This referendum is a great test of his political skill. Probably the greatest.
Without detail, will the people default to defensive conservatism and vote no, or, will Albo gain the trust of the people to vote YES. Massive test.
A nice smackdown of Speers’ question about the grog bans.
Albo may just pull this off.
Watching Albo being interviewed, with the Akubra on, answering by repeating principles. Reminds me of the late, great Tom Uren.
Great interview with Speers and Albanese. Highly recommend everyone watch it.
Watching Insiders. “post euphoria” questions on the process starting. Not a bad thing as all these questions need ventilating.
Albo on now. Speaking well i think. Reasonable, measured and frankly respectful responses that make sense. Certainly NOT doing what I had come to expect from the last Govt where and being reactive / arrogant/ dismissive.
There is obviously a ways to go on this and wont all be warm and fuzzy kumbyah. But……seems to me there is enough goodwill around at the moment to get positive and REAL change.
Thinking about it i am coming around to the idea that a Voice to Parliament, in the Constitution, in and of itself, actually achieves a lot. Not a third house, but as its in the Constitution, a body that CANNOT be ignored, dismissed, or easily dissolved by any Govt in the future and because it recommends to Parliament (not the Executive) will ALWAYS be able to get its message out.
9fax has a few articles on Voice
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/topic/indigenous-australians-hr7
Megalogenis and then Hartcher, both describe surprising (to me) tentative support of the Voice by Dutton. Massola focusses on Albanese and his speech on the subject, and offers one possible composition of Voice. And the most recent article (Thompson, Parnell, Hastie) explores the mixed messages coming from the Coalition.
Hey LR
Really enjoy your weatheronPB poetry. Thankyou.
A Third House? Definitely not. That’s Newscorp.
Confessions says:
Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 9:13 am
“You can already see the coalition gearing up to oppose the referendum. The odious Michaela Cash inferring this is a “vanity project” for Albo and that any change to the constitution should not be taken lightly.
I hope this isn’t the case, but their track record on acting in the national interest isn’t good.”
Only the Coalition (and PHON) could possibly consider this a ‘vanity project’. That should tell voters everything they need to know about this Opposition.
“The odious Michaela Cash inferring this is a “vanity project” for Albo”
Cash from W.A. I am ashamed. 🙁
Stan making this all about Stan
Labor will conduct the Yes campaign in a spirit of hope…with reason, dignity and idealism. The Lying Reactionaries and the Apostasy will not know what to do. They will be looking for ways, however, to make hatred pay off for them once again. They have a lot of hatred in the bank. They will want to use it. They will want to use Aboriginal Australians and the politics of racial cruelty to defeat Labor.
Their mouths will be watering at the prospect.
I reckon Pauline Hanson will campaign against Voice on the grounds that it’ll create another ATSIC.
The best “YES” case might be that Pauline Hanson is against it.
The Lying Reactionaries and the Apostasy will chant “detail detail detail”, it is clear.
I found it impossible to fully interpret the chart just shown on Insiders.
Regarding Senator Thorpe – if she does not consider herself an Australian citizen (per the walkout statement she signed her name to), then how can she take a seat in our Parliament?
I have seen no evidence that she was “booted” from the Statement from the Heart assembly; choosing to leave in disagreement is very different from being asked to leave. But surely our Parliamentarians should all be able to say with a clear conscience, “I am Australian, and my loyalty is to Australia.”….right?
Referendum timing is also another important factor in the outcome of the vote.
https://insidestory.org.au/voice-referendum/
BK @ #381 Sunday, July 31st, 2022 – 9:53 am
Glad it wasn’t just me!
In the referendum table the white are those held midterms while the yellows are those held at elections.
Matt @ #385 Sunday, July 31st, 2022 – 9:54 am
Until there’s a treaty that unifies, there remains two Australia’s.
Shame is a poison for some and a burden for all. The request for a Voice is a gift to allow us to lighten that burden. We should accept it.
No time to bludge @ #378 Sunday, July 31st, 2022 – 9:50 am
I think your account is overdrawn.
Cronus, they will snipe around with a peashooter scatter gun looking for political advantage in this. It is disgraceful but in their DNA. Hopefully they will find none and be smart enough to realise it and fall in line with some half hearted whining to satisfy their racist demographics. Failing that, they get it wrong and actively oppose – the referendum succeeds despite them and their brand is further diminished into the dark nooks of the far right.
If you look at this referendum in purely political terms – I see the existential challenge and risk is to the Coalition. The momentum isn’t with them and they don’t have a crafty operator like Howard to navigate it. And Abbott/Credlin were one trick ponies with a use by date. And neither of them have the teals to contend with (you could argue Dutton has the teals to deal with because of Howard and Abbott).
Q: A treaty process at the federal level MUST begin immediately though.
Q: Who do you treat with?
Until we have a treaty, we are stuck on the beach in January 1788 forever.
As for “Who do you treat with?”…….this red herring infuriates me. Indigenous people have had a governance structure within their nations for 10,000s of years, long before Europe had human civilisation. I am Gamileroi, our leaders and elders are known to all. Same for all groups. Maybe in some communities it is contested- well in Australia leadership was recently contested 53-47.
@ Jan 6, re: Stan Grant –
“He isn’t the first or the worst Figjam to be on the panel.”
Not by a long shot.
perhaps we could run a bit of a contest over the course of today – “worst ever FIGJAM on the insiders panel”.
Some early nominations to start the ball rolling: Piers, Gerard, Stutch, Clennell and – for balance – Marr
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@Frednk:
“ Albo may just pull this off.”
I reckon the key will actually to give a very strong impression that the main pre-occupation of the Albanese government is … economic progress for ‘ordinary Australians’ – in the face of very strong headwinds, not of its making, Albo and his government must give the strong impression that they are turning but to work every day and focused on that 100%. Even if the government can’t solve everything overnight, as long as there is no perceived neglect of the hip pocket issues of all the folk that changed their vote between 2013 and 2022, then Albo will be given a lot of latitude to address other issues. However, if he loses the mob on the economy, then folk like Steely dickhead will make sure he’s crucified on the Statement and proposed referendum.
Rex,
Australia isn’t ready for a treaty. If the focus is on a treaty then Australia might decide it isn’t ready for a voice. Honestly, the referendum in and of itself, right now and for the immediate future, is important enough to be viewed completely as a stand-alone meritorious and vital proposition requiring focus and support in order to succeed. And it must succeed.
I have no problem with you advocating for a treaty on PB. It is an interesting topic. But it shouldn’t be a mainstream discussion point that could distract from what is in front of us. This is much needed constitutional change. Nobody should risk it for political advantage/differentiation.
“worst ever FIGJAM on the insiders panel”.
Probyn by the length of the Flemington straight.
What really irks me is that media discussion on Voice continually focuses on negative perceptions and the pitfalls in the process instead of getting behind the principle and reporting the strength behind the advocacy.
Jan 6 @ #393 Sunday, July 31st, 2022 – 10:07 am
“Now is not the time ….”
AE,
Can someone please explain Clenell to me? He isn’t afraid to grill the right (when even the likes of the ABC and Sales shy from it).
P1
Now is the time to support the referendum.
JenA
Excellent point.