Direct election resulted in four women gaining membership of National Council for the next two years. They are Michelle Wood (NSW); Alice Crawford (Vic), Allison Henry (NSW) and Jessica Liddell (Vic) who will fill four of the 10 spots (the State and Territory convenors are automatically…
Italy’s referendum on parliamentary and financial reform was overturned with an unexpectedly large majority – turnout 65.47 percent (non-compulsory voting) with 59.11 percent against and 40.89 in favour (overseas voters were 64.7 percent in favour). The result led to the immediate resignation of Prime Minister, Matteo…
Nothing to report on Barbados Prime Minister’s proposal from earlier in the year. But here is an interesting article from the CaribFlame where a people’s parliament puts the proposition plainly and simply with a clear understanding of both the symbolism and unfinished business – click…
As it always is. Front page cartoon of The Australian to illustrate the lead article on the recent pattern of predictable (and some say, unsuitable) choices for Australian of the Year. Over the barbeque, one punter says to another: “We have to change…
The unruly, convention-breaking 2016 US presidential election – all 546 days of it – between two highly unpopular candidates selected as a result of people voting has led some to call for the US to become a hereditary monarchy. WfaAR comments: one swallow doesn’t make…
The Scottish Government isn’t taking no for an answer and has published a draft bill for a second independence vote in response to the Brexit result (majority of Scots voters voted to Remain in the EU). First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced that she intends…
The same-sex marriage plebiscite was effectively canned when the ALP (with The Greens, Senator Hinch and the three NXT senators) decided not to vote for it. Thus, the Government does not have enough support in the Senate to get the enabling bill passed; so end of…
ABC deems it newsworthy to remind us that Kate and William plus heirs (both of them) in tow are now on their second visit to Canada. Thankfully, we do not get the minute-by-minute coverage of the Queen’s very large extended family that prevails in…
The Prime Minister himself tables the same-sex marriage plebiscite bill in the House of Representatives. The bill confirms the details that had been made public two days earlier (see News of 13 September) as well as some others: the result will be…
According to Chris Mitchell’s new book – he being the former editor of The Australian newspaper – Tony Abbott told him that the Queen ‘had made it known’ (to the then Prime Minister whose honours system it was) that she wished for Prince…
