The Prime Minister’s suggested form of words for insertion into the Constitution to create the Voice seems to be the preferred option. For its proponents, it has the distinct political advantage of being extraordinarily vague. Presumably it will be the substantive part of the referendum question. It goes like this: It might pass. After all,…

Let’s be pessimistic or is it realistic. Suppose the Voice gets up in the referendum. We’ll have thirty-five local and regional bodies coalescing into either state and territory bodies from which twenty-four reps will emerge to form the Voice. Or at least that’s the proposed model in the Calma-Langton report. It’s an opaque process. Probably…

In recent blog on Quadrant Online, I referred to a Mr Ted O’Connor of Prince Charles Parade, in the suburb of Kernell in Sydney, who in 1956 expressed concern about the danger of high seas eroding homes along the Parade; which runs alongside the seafront.  “Fifty houses at Kurnell are in danger of toppling into…

Drove to Melbourne and back a few weeks ago. Haven’t driven interstate for decades; haven’t owned a car for about eight years. Could I still drive? Still not sure because the Hume Highway offers little challenges. Two generous lanes, dual carriageway, all the way. Rest areas aplenty. Not long out of England, many decades ago,…

Efforts are afoot to make North American (ice) hockey more diverse. Apparently it’s too white. I am not aware of any similar efforts being made in water polo or swimming or in chess for that matter. Nor am I ware of any complaints that American basketball and football and, say, athletic sprinting are disproportionately too…

I see that Jacinda Ardern is intent on lowering the voting age to sixteen in New Zealand. It’s a developing trend. Let’s face it, nobody remotely believes that the voting age will be restored to twenty-one from where it should never have been lowered. All the impetus, from the left and from the greenies, is…

Changes in my personal life meant that I was forced to downsize in 2014. My new (small) place is ultra-convenient. No need for a car so I didn’t buy one, until now. Didn’t fancy dying carless. Ordered a new yellow MG hatch in mid-May. I cancelled at the end of October, have been told yet…

Minding my own business watching TV late the other night. I am assailed by professor Michael Kidd, who is apparently deputy chief medical officer. He warned me that I needed to stop the spread; to wear a mask when inside in crowded situations, to keep my distance from other folk, to wash my hands. Is…

I looked it up. Apparently, pylons are needed each 75 to 100 metres to support high-voltage overhead transmission lines. In England and Wales there are 7000 kms of high voltage overhead transmission lines and 90,000 pylons. Roughly one pylon per 80 metres. Seems about right. I’ll use this number. Peter Dutton referred in Parliament to…