Tag: Australian Constitution

Minister Accuses Opponents of The Voice of ‘Trump Politics’

Australia’s Indigenous Minister Linda Burney has accused campaigners against changing the country’s Constitution of engaging in “Trump politics” and distributing misinformation. Burney directed the withering comments against “No” campaigners who oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal. The proposal will change the preamble of the Australian Constitution to include recognition of Indigenous people and will…


‘Trump Politics’: Minister Pans Opponents of The Voice

Australia’s Indigenous Minister Linda Burney has accused campaigners against changing the country’s Constitution of engaging in “Trump politics” and distributing misinformation. Burney directed the withering comments against “No” campaigners who oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal. The proposal will change the preamble of the Australian Constitution to include recognition of Indigenous people and will…


We Don’t Need to Become a Republic, We Are One

Commentary I wonder how long King Charles will reign over this realm of Australia. I am in favour of the King, but not particularly optimistic about his future here. In 1995, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was at that time CEO of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM), asked me to set up a Tasmanian…


Liberals Take Principled Stance on the Voice, Will Australia Be Open to Listening?

Commentary Leadership requires the strength to say “NO” even when those around you clamour to proceed and can’t foresee the inherent danger. With opinion polling suggesting that Australians are positively disposed to supporting “The Voice” proposal to alter their Constitution, the Liberal/National Coalition has taken a strong, principled stand in opposing the proposal both on…


How Will the ‘Voice’ Contribute to ‘Reconciliation’?

Commentary There is no denying the reality that a constitutional convention held in 2017 near Uluru galvanised a movement to amend the Australian Constitution. The “Uluru Statement from the Heart” (pdf) invites people to walk with Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders “in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.” To that purpose,…


Christian Roots of the Australian Commonwealth

Commentary Australia is in the process of disentangling the law from its Judeo-Christian roots. In contemporary Australia, writes Michael Quinlan, dean of law at the University of Notre Dame Australia (pdf), “an observation that a particular law is consistent with or that it has been derived from Christian morality is more likely to be raised…


The Unruly Australian Senate

Commentary Senator Pauline Hanson has not been a stranger to controversy in her political career. In August 2017, she dressed in a burka as a means of focusing on the discrimination suffered by Islamic women in Australia. It generated a furious response by the then attorney-general, Senator George Brandis, who sharply rebuked Hanson’s action and…


Ronald Reagan’s Warning on Freedom Is Relevant Around the Anglosphere

Commentary Ronald Reagan, one of the greatest American presidents, presciently warned about the situation in which both the U.S., Australia and much of the Anglosphere find themselves today. “Freedom,” he said, “is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. “It must be fought for,…


Whatever the Result, Billionaire Clive Palmer’s Border Lawsuit Will Have a Formidable Effect

Commentary Mining magnate Clive Palmer will take the Western Australian government to court over their plan to limit entry to their state to only those vaccinated against the CCP virus. In addition, he has offered to fund a class action over vaccination passports. It has been pointed out in the media that he, or the entity through which…


Australia’s Constitution Clashes With Vaccine Mandates

Commentary Although it is not feasible to predict what the High Court of Australia—the nation’s apex legal body—would do if it were called upon to consider the constitutionality of vaccine mandates and emergency declaration orders, it is still possible to argue what it should do. The Australian Constitution must be interpreted in a manner that…