Perspectives

To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain

Category: CURRENT ISSUES

CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / US POLITICS

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Much to Observe and Even More to Learn From the Lead Up to the American Presidential Election.

Reading Time: 10 minutesMany of us are paying close attention to the everchanging issues in the lead up to the 2020 US Presidential election. There is little doubt that the outcome of the election will also affect us and the rest of the world. We have much to learn of relevance to our re-emerging consideration of whether it is time to become a Republic. Particularly significant are lessons we can learn from the US regarding a directly elected President and the appointment and independence of the judiciary.

CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION

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GERONTICIDE IN THE AGE OF COVID-19

Reading Time: 9 minutesFormer Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott proposes that we allow elderly Covid-19 patients to die for the sake of a speedier economic recovery. Reviewing alternative responses to the pandemic reveals underlying philosophies and values.

Gulf News 1 March 2019

CURRENT ISSUES / LEGAL MATTERS / RELIGION

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If Pell Wins Special Leave to Appeal, The High Court Is Highly Unlikely to Rule on His Guilt.

Reading Time: 2 minutesIt is possible that the High Court will grant Pell special leave to appeal. Such an appeal would provide the Court with an opportunity to rule on the law relating to appeals of jury verdicts in trials such as Pell’s. But, Pell’s guilty verdict, I suggest, is most likely to stand.

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.

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.