EARLIER this week the Finance Minister, Senator Penny Wong did what I thought was just about the biggest backflip in the history of backflips (except for the PM's Medicare-NDIS one). It was so good that she should have headlined the new show Celebrity Splash.
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Senator Wong questioned Independent MP Tony Windsor's idea of having a referendum on same-sex marriage laws.
Mr Windsor wants the controversial issue taken out of the hands of politicians and instead let the people decide.
Mr Windsor voted against the most recent same-sex marriage bill but said his views had softened after attending a civil union ceremony last year, he says he supports the idea of a plebiscite on the issue but clarified he won't necessarily be leading the push to make it happen.
Senator Wong, who is in a same-sex relationship, said she would "sound a note of caution" about the idea. She said a plebiscite would be a "very high bar to jump".
"My view is the parliament has a responsibility and will one day discharge that responsibility," Senator Wong told Sky News.
Now the following comment shows that most politicians do not have faith in the Australian people: Senator Wong pointed to the 1999 republic referendum which failed across all states despite having strong public support.
"John Howard and Tony Abbott ran a very good fear campaign and we lost that referendum," she said.
So, because "they" lost a referendum we can't have another one? Now a referendum question would first need to pass Parliament because Australia does not have a mechanism for citizen-initiated referendums. Further legislative change would then be required in the case of a "yes" vote - with the Parliament free not to follow the result.
Tony Abbott is no better as he told reporters that he thought the September election was not the right time for a referendum on gay marriage.
Now in some respects they are right as the changing of a civil union requires the government to consider such an amendment is through a conscience vote in parliament, since any change to allow same-sex marriage would occur by amending the Marriage Act, not the constitution however, a plebiscite would give the parliament a guide as to the wishes of the Australian people.
So it comes back to the people running our country not wanting to listen to those that employ them; Us. And the politicians that walk the halls of parliament would do well to remember a few things;
Designing Architect, Romaldo Giurgola has said it is "a matter of crucial importance (that) the relationship of the structure to individual Australians, and whether people would feel comfortable approaching and entering the building. We felt if Australia's new Parliament House was to speak honestly about its purpose, it could not be built on top of the hill as this would symbolise government imposed upon the people."
"The building should nest with the hill; symbolically rise out of the Australian landscape, as true democracy rises from the state of things." They are here to serve us not the other way around and with this in mind, there are times that the will of the people should be heard, now I know that I quite often say "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." Rosalynn Carter; but in this case I think a true leader would listen to the people, in this case they know where we have to be.
Saulie.