TIME FOR BARNETT TO STOP BEING A PRAT

The  WA Premier, Colin Barnett, needs to smarten himself up.

He has every right to remind PM Malcolm Turnbull that a plebiscite should not be mixed up with a WA state election campaign, in March 2017. Indeed, Gough Whitlam should have remembered that when he removed the superphosphate bounty for farmers shortly before the 1974 State Election. It cost Labor Premier John Tonkin his job.

However, Barnett has no right to say we do not need a plebiscite.

Conscription was divisive in 1916-17 but PM Billy Hughes still held two referendums and lost both of them because the people decided, in their wisdom, it was not required.

Barnett aligns himself with left wingers like Labor senator Louise Pratt who considers it a ‘dumb idea….for people to be forced to the polls’. Oh, really, then why don’t we just ignore having elections completely?

Then we could run on the fuhrerprinzip (leadership principle) and like the Third Reich just be governed at the leader’s whim.
Plebicites and referendums are part of democracy and there is an argument that we should have more rather than less, particularly citizens initiated referenda.

The question to be put on redefining marriage is basic: do you approve of a law to permit people of the same sex to marry? This is simple and fair (Yes/No). Typically, we now have the radicals saying such a question does not cater for the transgender set! Perhaps we should cater for  asexual amoebas in the question, as well?

Barnett was also out of order, in April, in rebuking Southern River MLA, Peter Abetz, for his legitimate comments on gay marriage at a joint sitting of WA Parliament that endorsed Pat Dodson for a casual Senate vacancy.

Barnett, Brendon Grylls (who walked out) and ALP critics should check their facts.

Far from being a ‘ceremony,’ as alleged by some (including The West Australian), that occasion was a debatable motion and Abetz was justified in his courteous and disciplined speech in supporting the new senator's elevation while reminding Dodson of the importance of marriage.

 However, the attack on Ross Lightfoot MLC, in 1997, was anything but restrained, when he was being endorsed for a casual Senate vacancy.

On that occasion the Labor leader, and his deputy, (Geoff Gallop and Eric Ripper) mounted a vitriolic attack on Lightfoot’s elevation to the Senate.

It’s time for the current Liberal Premier to stop being a prat, the people are going to vote on marriage. Turnbull would destroy himself and the Federal Government if he was to even muse aloud about welching on the commitment to let the people vote on the attempts to redefine marriage.