With the referendum's results being scrutinised and assumptions being made that will undoubtedly contain a litany of political and campaign judgements, excuses, and voter trends, one thing is abundantly clear: not only are politicians not listening to the concerns and wishes of Australians, neither are large corporations who invested large sums of money in the 'yes' campaign without shareholders' consent.
Also not listening are sporting bodies that foist woke ideologies on us at events, banks that are reducing services, and "enlightened" academics and legal professionals who think they know what is good for us.
Just maybe they might all get the message that we have had enough of their ideologies and grandiose ideas and just want ordinary, everyday issues such as lower mortgages, power bills, petrol prices and a bit of law and order, addressed. Not much to ask, really.
John Cooper, Charlestown
Track ahead for Supercars clear
A MONTH ago, Supercars seemed so confident that the extension of the Newcastle 500 would just be another done deal; they were already promoting the 2024 Newcastle event. Now even Supercars has a Plan B, for another event at Bathurst.
Mount Panorama is a far more popular race with fans than the pedestrian event through Newcastle's narrow heritage streets. Given that plans to take Singapore as a support event for the 2024 grand prix failed to eventuate, plus Canberra's Chief Minister rejected bringing a race back there, the passage Newcastle's lord mayor needs to steer before next year's election ("Labor councillors steering tricky course towards race call", Newcastle Herald 13/10), is clear: just say 'no'.
Christine Everingham, Newcastle
What will Albo learn from Voice?
Now that the Voice is over, maybe the Prime Minister can spend more time in Australia attending to the other 97 per cent of the population that also has disadvantaged people.
Yes, it's not as glamorous as jet-setting around the world, or as ego-satisfying, but he is not a world leader. His job description is Prime Minister of Australia, this is what is expected of him. Whether he falls on his sword as most leaders do, I doubt very much, and whether the failure of the Voice shows he must listen to all the people, not just those with the same views as him, will be interesting indeed.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
'Yes' would have been no solution
I THINK many people voted against a half-baked idea poorly thought through and even more poorly presented. We were concerned about having racism reintroduced into our constitution having removed it in 1967. The Prime Minister stated that if he didn't like what this undefined "representative" group recommended he could just ignore it. This begs the question: why should it exist?
The other ill-defined aspect of this Voice related to its membership. I have read the statement about defining indigeneity and found that it is not as straightforward as some proponents of the Voice claim. There is a group that represents Indigenous people; it is called the Parliament. What is needed is a determination by its members, such as Lidia Thorpe, to cut through the crap and make sure that programs to benefit disadvantaged Australian people are effectively implemented and not derailed by self-interested ideologues of any persuasion.
I suppose one of the difficulties in any system is finding what is best for the recipients, but I could not see how the proposed referendum would have come anywhere near providing good outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Stuart King, Toronto
Some of us are behind the times
I'M just writing to thank all of the Novocastrians for their most generous expectancy of our First Nations people, for the Voice.
Unfortunately, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton apologised to the Indigenous people not long ago, 10 years after the fact. Is he going to apologise to them again now or wait another 10 years? I watched an interview with some Torres Strait Islander people. They were feeling very deflated by the decision on Saturday. Almost 80 per cent of them voted in favour of the referendum, in parts of Far North Queensland, for recognition and a voice to be heard.
Joy Conquest, Dora Creek
No need to put stance up in lights
WHO was the bright spark who decided to light up the Sydney Opera House in the colours of Israel in a time of war, and make it a target for terrorism? For the record, in my opinion, the state of Israel was founded on terrorism. Read your history, oh wise ones.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
It's a venue for music, not politics
THE Sydney Opera House would have to be at high risk of a terrorist attack. Leave the Opera House for the purpose it was built; high class yodelling.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Race is in the constitution already
CLIVE Jensen ("Where do we sit on world stage?", Letters, 11/10), our 122-year-old constitution specifically recognises race, and gives the Parliament the power to make special laws about Indigenous people. Edmund Barton wanted it there to "regulate the affairs of people of coloured or inferior races". Race is already embedded in our constitution. We'd need a referendum to remove it. A Voice for Indigenous people would have addressed that ineffective, historical power imbalance.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Give voters a two-for-one deal
BY my count, eight federal referendums have been taken in unison with a federal election, so why has Albo or any other PM spent so much taxpayer money having this as a standalone event?
Alan Hamilton, Hamilton East
Not everyone's accepted verdict
AUSTRALIA has spoken. Will someone please inform our biased ABC?
Brian Watson-Will, Corlette
Some attitudes are old-fashioned
THE attitude of some 'no' voters reminds me of the first settlers in the US (How the West Was Won, and all that.) where the original Native Americans were rounded-up and shepherded onto reservations. A similar attitude was adopted with hundreds of Indigenous children in Australia at one stage.
William MacKenzie, Waratah West
Explanations were needed earlier
IT was a shame that the Voice Referendum Explainer ("If you don't know, find out", Herald, 11/10) wasn't published before more than three million Australians voted early, assuming the distinct lack of information would continue ... but then, was it truly impartial? Had a distinct bias towards 'yes'.
