Perspectives

To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain

Author: Daniel Stepniak

CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / RELIGION

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To Understand Folau, Understand Christian Beliefs

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe beliefs expressed by Folau are also held by a number of Australian Christian denominations. In particular, there is absolutely no doubt that some Christian beliefs may incite hatred and even violence. However, religious belief does not legally justify the breaking of the law. For that reason, an appreciation of what the expression or exercise of some Christian religious beliefs can entail is required in order to understand why the expression of some religious beliefs needs to be curtailed.

CURRENT ISSUES / GENDER EQUALITY

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Bri Lee’s Inspirational Public Lecture

Reading Time: 2 minutesBri spoke engagingly about her book, her time as a judge’s associate, as well as her experiences as a complainant in a sexual assault case. She also spoke about her current advocacy to reform Queensland’s outdated rape law. This law allows a person accused of sexual assault to rely on the defence that ‘they had a mistaken but honest and reasonable belief that sex was consensual’. Bri Lee came across as a very bright, eloquent, committed and brave young woman. I was particularly impressed with her capacity to see the big picture.

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION

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Constitutional Recognition of Australia’s Indigenous People

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Australian constitution should be amended to recognise the historical and current place of our Indigenous people.

Flowing from this recognition of cultures predating European arrival, I propose that Indigenous people should be guaranteed 12 seats in the Senate and every other protection guaranteed to inhabitants of an original Australian State.

SMALL SCREEN REVIEWS

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The Last Czars (Series 1) Period Drama With Documentary Segments

Reading Time: 4 minutesThis series tells the story of the demise of the Romanov dynasty under Czar Nicholas II. The presentation of this story is unique in that it is told simultaneously in three different ways – predominantly as a superbly cast and acted, and beautifully presented, television drama, through regular brief documentary segments, and as an additional aspect of this story, told dramatically in the bookends of this series and in short instalments throughout.

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES

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The Mandate Furphy

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Australian government‘s claim that it has a mandate to implement specific promises it made during the election campaign leading to its election simply does not add up. No one knows why an elector casts a vote for a candidate, unless the candidate is running on one issue only. At most a successful candidate has a general mandate to represent the electorate and pursue their or their parties’ policies. Successful candidates aligned with the party or parties that make up a majority in the House of Representatives may also be said to have the electors’ mandate to form a government. It is simply not possible to determine whether electors’ votes for a candidate or party were an endorsement or authorisation of government action.A clear mandate for government action on a particular issue can only be clearly secured through a plebiscite and less clearly from a survey. An election win can never produce a mandate of anything other than who should be elected and who forms government.

OPINION

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No Regret if Choices are Not Intrinsically Right or Wrong

Reading Time: 2 minutesThere is a belief that, when we have a choice to make, there is only one correct decision. Being convinced that it is within our control to make choices that will always prove right, we regret making choices that do not, at some stage, prove to be right.

On the other hand, we can accept that it can never be guaranteed that a choice will prove to be what we want and need. In doing so we will be more likely to not see a choice that is no longer working, as an opportunity to see what it was that stopped it being right, or as a recognition that our needs or circumstances have changed. Dare I say “I wish I had taken this on board many years ago”.

FILM REVIEWS

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Yesterday

Reading Time: 2 minutes‘Yesterday’ is a light hearted, musically brilliant, albeit with a plot that should not be scrutinised too closely. It is very well cast and believably acted. A fun movie for the family, and especially those who remember or like Beatles music.