The Centralist Agenda in Disguise

After rejecting similar proposals in 1974 and 1988, the Australian people are once again being asked to approve the recognition of local government in the Constitution. [i] This mirrors the attitude famously attributed to the EU nomenklatura: “The people must keep on voting until they get it right.”

The Constitution is an agreement between the people of the several states to establish a new federal entity with limited powers. Local government, established by the colonial parliaments, was not involved. If, 113 years later, local government is now to be included, the details must be put to the people, who will have to agree nationally and federally, that is in a majority of states.[ii]

Although changes have been made to the Australian Constitution at about the same rate as the American, the political class constantly complains that the Constitution has proved far too difficult to change. They should blame themselves—the power to initiate change is reserved to the Canberra…