Menzies House

Mythbusters: NBN

Adam Murphy debunks some of the myths that have been obstructing rational debate regarding the NBN.

Over the time I have spent keeping abreast of developments regarding the National Broadband Network, I have noticed that several arguments in support of that network assume a similar form. Taken in toto, they comprise a myth of the absolute necessity of the NBN. It is my intention here to ‘bust’ this mythological edifice that has been erected to shield the network from scrutiny, and to place it in the proper social and global contexts that are often ignored by the network’s more devout supporters.

Why We Need a Constitution For All Australians

There is little merit in the proposal to recognise Aborigines in our constitution, writes Adam Murphy.

Recently, there has been talk of holding a constitutional referendum, the first since 1999. The object of this referendum would be to insert a preamble, which features an explicit recognition of the Aboriginal people, into our Constitution. Already the wheels of bureaucracy are turning, with the Government just yesterday announcing a consultation group to discuss the issue and reach a verdict. But is this a worthwhile ambition? Unsurprisingly, no. In fact, it is a ludicrous idea, for several reasons.

Firstly, one thing many people do not realise is that the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900, an Act of the British Parliament in which our Constitution is contained, already has a preamble. Its first sentence reads as follows:

"Whereas the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, have agreed to unite in one dissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and under the Constitution hereby established…"