David Marler
Latest posts by David Marler (see all)
- The West Australian’s Bizarre IR Attack - 8 December 2023
- Queensland’s Nuclear Election - 5 December 2023
- Uneasy path to Treaty for Qld LNP - 6 August 2023
The naysayers of the Noalition
Ever since federal opposition leader Peter Dutton declared on April 5, 2023 that he would not support the First Nations Voice (FNV) referendum, Sky News Australia has largely supported him.
With the exception of Sky News host Chris Kenny, News Corp’s visual approach to the FNV debate has largely been negative with multiple conspiracy theories, fears of a national takeover and misinformation. Unliked by many outside the conservative political genre, Mr Kenny has been an unwavering supporter of the First Nations Voice to parliament. In 2019, Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt added him to the panel of 19 advisers appointed to the co-design group.
In August last year he made an outstanding case for the Yes referendum case, explaining the existing language in the Australian constitution deals with the parliament’s authority to make legislation based on race.
Mr Kenny said recently that he has received multiple negative commentary for his opinion.
Liberal Party member Nyunggai Warren Mundine did raise valid concerns about a rise in bureaucracy facing Indigenous people from the FNV but those can be addressed through regular government reviews. Aboriginal people are ‘sick and tired’ of governments and bureaucracy.
Nationals leader and Queensland Liberal National Party member David Littleproud doomed the entire country to break-up, echoing his political ancestor Tim Fischer in 1992 after the High Court Mabo decision.
Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce expressed nonsensical concerns about ASIO, ‘We’re going to have real problems’: Barnaby Joyce slams Voice to executive government. However, Professor Emerita Anne Twomey had earlier addressed such concerns by saying the FNV must act within its scope as decreed by parliament.
Liberal Party Senator Hollie Hughes tried to argue that Australians wouldn’t understand what the FNV was.
However, that was disproven this week by the response from the people of Cape York, the Torres Strait and Far North Queensland.
Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard tried to argue that the FNV should be legislated rather than being amended to the constitution.
Professor Marcia Langton had previously explained that Indigenous people had been raising issues with different governments for decades but it wasn’t having an impact.
So on and so forth it goes over at Sky News Australia but as Australian Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue said this week, the FNV would be an enhancement to the constitution.
I’m not a learned person but I can’t see any problem with the FNV thus far. Here’s a work in progress entitled, the naysayers of the Noalition. Perhaps it might be useful to you as a bingo card. File.
