tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671521.post8329938962509091237..comments2023-10-26T05:03:32.201+13:00Comments on BIG NEWS: Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671521.post-18810793630930609562008-06-28T23:14:00.000+12:002008-06-28T23:14:00.000+12:00dave: There was no point whatever in discussing a ...dave: There was no point whatever in discussing a 2007 referendum when the petition seeking the referendum had no show being coplete before well into 2008. <BR/><BR/>They still have not been verified as having enough signatures, as far as I know. In any case, it's far too late for a 2007 referendum. ;-)Steve Withershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04221815213521767405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671521.post-11771782246041420022008-06-27T08:02:00.000+12:002008-06-27T08:02:00.000+12:00Then how come that electoral authorities were not...Then how come that electoral authorities were not given an option of a 2007 referendum - electoral or postal. Could it be that pre briefing discussions WAS that decision you referred to, and the briefing merely rubber stamped it. The law makes no provision that such decisions must be made before the petition is presented to parliament - as was clearly the case here. Electoral authorities had decided to ask for the briefing to be formalised by cabinet at least two months before the first petition was presented to parliament.Swimminghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12913329810121951824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671521.post-13387048923295217892008-06-27T02:41:00.000+12:002008-06-27T02:41:00.000+12:00Re the update. The government gets to decide when ...Re the update. The government gets to decide when the referendum will be. The only thing the government MUST do is hold the referendum within the time allowed....at its discretion. That's the way this law has always been. If it was "rigged", it was rigged by the Government of the day who put it forward and passed it.Steve Withershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04221815213521767405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671521.post-25081368433189885232008-06-26T07:33:00.000+12:002008-06-26T07:33:00.000+12:00Well written Dave. Right on the button. Democracy ...Well written Dave. Right on the button. Democracy can be hard work but we should never turn our back on it. By the way, a law doesn't have to actually catch people to prove it's still a bad law. This is a bad law - convictions or no convictions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671521.post-43438315024256320392008-06-26T01:00:00.000+12:002008-06-26T01:00:00.000+12:00Bad enough there were sufficient silly people loos...Bad enough there were sufficient silly people loose on the streets unsupervised to sign the petition and trigger a referendum at all. <BR/><BR/>That alone is a disgrace. <BR/><BR/>Keep the thing well away from the election. <BR/><BR/>The law change removed the legal defense people could employ to justify lip-swelling, eye-blackening, ear-drum-popping assaults on their children. <BR/><BR/>No parents who smacks a child's hand or spanks their bottom is going to be prosecuted. The law makes that VERY clear....if the folk who signed this had bothered to actually read it.Steve Withershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04221815213521767405noreply@blogger.com