Indigenous Recognition Referendum in More Trouble

The Indigenous Recognition Referendum is the first stage of the Republic Referendum, that much is obvious. That this vote is now floundering as it is being further delayed is also very obvious. A conveniently future date – 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum ie 27 May 2017 – has been speculated on by the Prime Minister for no obvious reason other than to delay it as much as possible. The talk of it having to be one-shot, that is: successful at first attempt, is dishonest to say the least. It and other important referendums to follow – including the one on the republic – might have to be put several times working through multiple preparatory processes as the Americans do, that much also is obvious. At a speech to 600 guests at a major fundraiser for the referendum in Sydney, the PM nominated neither a firm date nor any indication of the what the question/s might be. It’s getting very clear that this vote is already in the too-hard basket and there it might stay. The PM did say that he had rejected the House of Representatives Committee’s draft of three options for questions and that its final report would now be completed in the first quarter of 2015. Watch this space. [“Tony Abbott continues to pussyfoot around Indigenous recognition” by David Marr, The Guardian Australia online, 13 December 2014]