The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > To plebiscite or not to plebiscite? Will that become the question? > Comments

To plebiscite or not to plebiscite? Will that become the question? : Comments

By John de Meyrick, published 31/8/2016

Whilst there has been only three federal plebiscites (as distinct to referenda), they have been used by our states to gauge public opinion on a range of issues.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. All
The marriage act was changed by parliament in 2004 to read that marriage is between a man and a woman. That being so, parliament could simply revert to the former marriage act, which as memory serves, simply stated two people? That said, there are some folks, who will never ever agree and claim that the majority see things their way!

And will continue to hold their patent puppet Malcolm by the political short and curlies regardless of his previous position? And just not indicative of a bona fide Leader! Who ought to stare down the dividers/invite them to pick up their bat and ball and join another team? Given they seem determined to wreck this one!

That said, their puppet will dance or jump for whomsoever pulls the strings! Asking only, what (back) step or how high?

That being so, the only way to see this matter resolved in the affirmative during this term of parliament, is via a plebiscite? Which Labor needs to agree to, always providing, it happens this year and Parliament is bound by the either way result!

In the interim, no changes to 18C ought to be countenanced, given change would allow hate speech/homophobic rhetoric full rein?

Even then, I believe, we can expect the mother and father of all negative campaigns by the no side, who will try to link in beastiality, poligamy and the rights of the child to a mother and a father etc ad infinitum ad nauseum, with no divisive stone left unturned and no dirty trick left untried?

And sure to polarize the electorate? Turn the electorate against the government? Which could lose power with a single heart attack! Or in a virtual punishing landslide during the very next poll that counts? Bring on the plebiscite!
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Wednesday, 31 August 2016 11:27:44 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Two and a half steps for Politicians to avoid responsibility:

1. Parliament needs to pass legislation to enable a plebiscite to be held

2. The compulsory(?) or you'll be fined or gaoled(?) plebiscite is held.

This enables point 1 again, ie.

1. Parliament needs to pass legislation again to enable same-sex marriage.

More details see http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-29/same-sex-marriage-plebiscite-explainer/7794070
Posted by plantagenet, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 1:12:57 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Runner,

The "safes schools" (safe for whom, we should be asking) nonsense will probably increase the numbers. The left is very good at warping the minds of impressionable kids. Remember the Poms, who used to come here after the U.K started encouraging the queers, saying that they took the opportunity to come to Australia before they made homsexuality compulsory? Perhaps that wasn't the joke we thought it was.
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 1:56:22 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
No plebiscite on gay marriage or any other controversial social measure whatsoever.. why single out same sex relationships? I totally agree with ex high court judge - Michael Kirby's remarks in SMH dated 22-8-16

""We didn't do this for the Aboriginal people when we moved to give equality in law to them, we didn't do it when we dismantled the White Australia policy ... we didn't do it in advances on women's equality, we didn't do it most recently on disability equality."

"Why are we now picking out the LGBT, the gay community? It's simply an instance of hate and dislike, hostility to a small minority in our population. It's unAustralian."

It's executive government's job to make decisions that affect all of Australian society. Why else do we have Federal government? Duh!

Vote in parliament like good 'little' politicians that your are because you were directly elected by the people to do that task... of making decisions into legislation.

Get on with the job! good heavens, I am so chronically sick of this issue... there are MORE important problems to be debated such as creating quality jobs and maintaining our current standards of living before its REALLY too late...
Posted by Rojama, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 2:02:49 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Rojama

"Get on with the job."

What a joke that is.

Within hours of resuming Parliament, the politicians have returned to their normal form of abuse and vitriol, yelling at each other that they are a "disgrace" and "scum".

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/christopher-pyne-and-the-parliamentary-art-of-talking-through-his-paper-hat-20160831-gr5d64.html

One has to assume that this is true, and politicians are a disgrace and scum.

I would not trust our politicians with any decision, and Australia has to grow up and start the process of direct democracy.

That direct democracy means a direct vote taken by the public on issues, rather than relying on disgraceful scum politicians to vote on issues.
Posted by interactive, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 2:53:23 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Justice Kirby was an "activist" judge, and a very arrogant one who thought it was right for unelected judges to make decisions rightly the province of elected representatives. Not a person to take seriously at all. He is, of course, homosexual himself, which is fine, but it is the homosexual lobby and its leftist urgers who are the ones doing all the bullying in an attempt to make Turnbull's promise of a plebicite, before the election, to go away. Had Turnbull reneged on his promise, these same bullies would have been the first to complain and score points - very, very loudly.

As for Kirby's knocking a plebicite on SSM because we didn't have one on aboriginal matters and the White Australia police: well we should have had a plebicite on those those things, too. Instead, they were were changed by emotional, frightened politicians, who gave no thought to the consequences of their actions.

Turnbull has yet to show strength and state that it is the plebicite or nothing to knock the whinging and bullying in the head, but other Coalition MPs are saying that's the way it will be; even Warren Ensch, firmly pro SSM, has sad that nobody from the government will crossing the floor. Turnbull seems to have succeeded in unifying the party, in this at least
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 5:33:46 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy