Happy Christmas, Albo?

Halfway into its first term, the big question is whether the Albanese government is in a temporary bad patch, or at the beginning of a downhill slide.

Australia’s grand strategy

The grand strategy methodology is a useful framework with which to consider Australia and its contemporary international policies and activities as a middle power.

Misconstruing misinformation

The defeat of the Voice referendum has been blamed on latent racism and misinformation, but the Prime Minister was repeatedly warned the referendum would fail if recognition was linked to the Voice.

Lifting the lid on the lobby

Well paid lobbyists outnumber politicians three to one in Canberra, and are able to walk the corridors of power without hindrance or regulation. As well as lobbyists from the energy and mining industries, the alcohol, tobacco, fast food and gambling industries are particularly active in their attempts to bend public policy to suit their paymasters’ interests.

Does politics let down the people?

While Australians remain strong supporters of democracy, criticisms of the political system which delivers and administers it continue to mount, so what are the problems and what can be done to solve them?

One voice, shared values

Despite the defeat of the divisive Voice proposal, there remains ample scope to be optimistic about bi-partisan support for the work of assisting First Nations communities to find solutions to the issues they face.

Voices off

The failure of the Voice campaign has set back the cause of indigenous representation, rather than advanced it, and by blaming anyone but themselves for their failure, Voice advocates risk repeating the same mistakes in the future.

Progress is still possible

The defeat of the Voice proposal will put the spotlight on existing institutions and frameworks dedicated to improving indigenous outcomes, including The National Indigenous Australians Agency funded with $2.6 billion of public money.

Why we said ‘no’

The Yes campaign was soundly defeated in every state and while a range of factors have been blamed for its defeat, the fact remains that constitutional amendments tend to be rejected whatever their intentions may be.

No, thanks

In a major setback for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian voters have overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to inject racial preference into the constitution, with every state and the Northern Territory voting no by a decisive margin.

The final countdown

The Voice Referendum takes place today, although almost half the population have already voted. The final opinion polls suggest the Yes campaign is heading for a heavy defeat, with voters worried about national unity and a lack of detail in the proposal.

Yes or no is not a black or white issue

The 1967 Referendum on Aboriginal citizenship was a triumphant success because it appealed to Australians’ sense of equality, unity and national identity. Today’s Referendum on a Voice to Parliament seems set to fail for exactly the same reason.