You can’t live between two worlds ..

 The Prime Minister said on Wednesday. “Very soon, our nation will have a once-in-a-generation chance to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our Constitution and make a positive difference to their lives with a voice.”

If changing constitution and giving a special voice to a community is all that is required to make a positive difference to peoples’ lives, why aren’t we doing it for everyone who is disadvantaged? 

The Prime Minister made his statement, ignoring the fact that we have invested billions of dollars in programs and we’ve funded hundreds of voices already. And despite that, a certain percentage of our ATSI community have made little progress. We don’t need a special voice for approximately 80% of the ATSI community. So we need to take off the rose coloured and seriously address the why, of the remaining 18-20% before doing something as radical as changing the constitution in the hope it will be the magic panacea? 

I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t want the best for people. That includes the best for our ATSI community. In particular, the children who deserve to be successful, productive members of society. Perhaps even aspire to be the Prime Minister or the equivalent of a president should we become a republic. I think that would be something really worth celebrating.

In saying what I’m about to say, I accept this isn’t popular with Yes campaigners. But I firmly believe it needs to be said. Whilst people choose to live in remote areas, insist on living their lives the traditional way and even adhering to some traditional customs and laws progress in closing the gap is almost impossible. Even more so, if they don’t speak English and do not send their kids to school. In those circumstances, the ability to make any meaningful difference is limited. 

Why? Because closing the gap would require them to live their lives as the rest of us do. That means being close to adequately resourced schools and medical facilities. With access to technology, adequate infrastructure and, key, with the ability to gain meaningful employment. That isn’t to imply they have to give up their culture entirely as immigrants to our country have proven. 

We are a multicultural nation and we have thousands of people who have moved here from foreign lands. Most have kept the important elements of their culture and they have successfully integrated into our Australian society. We as a nation are the richer for it. Those who haven’t and who haven’t learnt to speak the language and who have refused to give up their old way of life are the ones who continue to struggle. That is no different to those in remote areas who continue to struggle and who are disadvantaged.

We have many successful immigrants, just as we have many successful indigenous members of our society. Many of those sit in our parliament, including eleven from our indigenous community. We have successful (genuine) indigenous academics. We have successful indigenous business leaders, lawyers and scientists. We have successful indigenous lobbyists. They have all benefited from living in modern Australia, just as those of us non-indigenous Australians have. The difference being the fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers etc of these people accepted that to be successful in life, you needed an education and you needed to take advantage of progress. They integrated. 

I fear changing the constitution, which is a very serious undertaking, will achieve nothing to bridge a gap. Why? Because we haven’t addressed the real elephant in the room.

You can’t live between two worlds, being the traditional way and the modern way. And you can’t help those who are not prepared to help themselves. That is despite the well-intentioned efforts of those who believe you can. 

How Did Parliament Lose It’s Moral Compass & Sink So Low

Most females I know who have been in business at senior levels have, in their career, faced inappropriate advances &/or behaviour. Any person, male or female, who has managed a reasonable sized business has at some point had to deal with complaints of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. I would add that it isn’t always just women who are the alleged victims. Men can also be victims, but many are not willing to come forward because of stereotyping. In fact, the parliamentary review also highlighted that as an issue in Canberra.

The difference between business & the behaviours we are witnessing in Canberra from the so-called leaders of the country & their support staff is this. In business, the alleged victim does not use the “loudhailer” to announce over the company intercom system that they’ve been abused.

Nor do they take out full page adds in the media, brief journalists & name & shame people. In business, dependent on the severity, they deal with it themselves. They report it to HR for action or they take legal action.

Any business leader worth their salt would support a staff member in doing the same. Members of parliament are akin to business leaders. They are for all intents & purposes senior staff yet many are behaving like wet behind the ears juveniles. They ignore due-process and the presumption of innocence in their political game of point scoring. It is outrageous behaviour. 

Dennis Shanahan summed it up beautifully in the Australian today when he wrote. 

“Rape and sexual assault claims have devoured the parliamentary and political agenda, salaciously, sadly and sordidly corrupting the public discourse to the detriment of victims, justice and decency.

Genuine complaints, despicable behaviour, confected outrage, partisan opportunism, public prosecution in the media and the exploitation of parliamentary privilege over the past three years have created a fatal and irretrievable collapse of ­public standards.

As a result of the politicisation and exploitation of sexual assault allegations, there has been an erosion of appropriate and proper ­behaviour. At the same time, there has been a rise in instantaneous political and public gratification that demeans such serious allegations, removes privacy and confidentiality, dumps the presumption of innocence and ignores the correct handling of justice. This has to end. Well, at least it should end.” 

I am angry and I am equally disgusted with the behaviours and the feigned contrition of some. I am disgusted with the prime minister for not having the guts to deal with those within his party who have behaved reprehensibly in politicising accusations of assault to attack fellow members of parliament. I am disgusted that hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money has being handed over without the accused having the right to defend themselves. I am angry that parliament is being used as the loudhailer to announce allegations of sexual assault within the workplace.

With Lidia Thorpe, I am sorry she was prayed upon if, in fact, she was. But to wait three years, then to use parliamentary privilege to make an announcement, withdraw it and follow-up the following day with sweeping accusations against the male members of parliament is an applauding abuse of parliament. All that does is cast doubt on everyone. She has refused to go to the police and instead seeks to chase headlines rather than actually do something positive to deal with the problem. We are seeing far too much of that. 

The moral compass of those holding themselves up as leaders of the country, both male and female, has plummeted to an all-time low. If the likes of Labor’s senior members, including the prime minister, the opportunist Lidia Thorpe and the Liberal’s senator, Van, is the best we have, then God help us.

Now more than ever, we need to trust in our leaders to help us out of the worst economic environment many of us have ever faced. Frankly, with the prime minister we have and some of his key people who are in the driver’s seat, I wouldn’t trust them to clean a sewer.

All I can say is God help Australia, because we certainly can’t trust the government.

This has to end.  

Referendums Are Serious Business - They’re Not About Vibes or Feel Good

In a few months from now, we must cast our ballots to decide whether or not to include an extra chapter in our constitution. This isn’t something that we should take lightly, because it is a very important undertaking.

There are two parts to this vote. One being to recognise our indigenous history. The second the Voice to parliament. I know of very few people who have an issue with part one. The second part, however, concerns many of us.

This is not a minor change based on a feel good vibe. Nor is it about showing compassion or having a heart. A voice to parliament enshrined in our constitution is a substantive measure. A measure which will change governance and which will change forever the way parliament and the executive government works. It is naïve to say it won’t. 

A constitutional amendment depends on words. For that reason, we need to have a better understanding of effects of the proposed wording. To do that requires more information from the government, such as what exclusions (if any) apply. What the Voice can consult on and with whom and why and requires full disclosure of the proposed legislation; not after the vote, but before. Why? Because it is those very words that will lead to the creation of this new and important institution, the Voice and how it operates. 

Before we go to the ballot box, we are required to assess the Voice in terms of the constitutional powers it has. To not do that is irresponsible. Therefore, we can not allow others to dismiss us because those people who say we don’t need to look at the words or assess the words are engaging in deception.

It is not fair nor is it reasonable for the Prime Minister to state that the government will work out the details after we have voted yes. In fact, it is dishonest. 

This change has the potential to affect all of us in some shape or form. Based on what we have been told to this point, we can’t even determine what that might be. If we get this wrong, it isn’t like voting in a bad government where we can fix the mistake and vote them out in three years. Once a constitutional change is made, it is there forever or until such times as a new referendum is held in an endeavour to correct the mistake. So future generations also have to live with the decision we make.

We have one chance to get this right for all concerned, so let’s make sure we have all the information required to do that.