Letters to the editor: Voice result and recycling woes

It was expected, but still shocking. It became an episode in failure as soon as the Liberal Coalition decided to make it a battle to improve their electoral chances at next election.

From there the social media and extremist elements of the media took over.

Please, please, Indigenous people of Australia, do not take it as rejection by the bulk of this country.

I believe that half of those who voted No will wake up over the next 12 months and ask: how, oh how did I get so fooled? What have I done?

READ MORE:

The front page of this morning's Addy (16/10) features an interview with Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters.

Ms Chesters said she felt that locals had not thought that altering the constitution was the best way to go. She got that right. She also said that she was surprised the proposal had failed. I wonder about that.

All the polls and predictions, even those from the mainstream media, showed a steady fall in support for the Yes campaign.

My own prediction was based on observation of the trends and talking to people. I was about five per cent out in my forecast that No would take about two-thirds of the vote.

Mr Albanese's insistence that it was "a modest request", and "just being polite", rang hollow with many. A lot of people, including me, began to think that the voice to parliament was an instrument to alter the constitution, rather than altering the constitution being a means to implement the voice.

The lack of transparency made many people nervous. Why the almost desperate push to change the constitution?

People who are unconvinced a proposal is a good idea, or that they are being told the whole story, are unlikely to vote for it. There's your answer.

The FINAL decision on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Fear. Ignorance. Nastiness. Apathy. Laziness.

Garry Linnell's inciteful weekly commentary in the Addie makes for special reading each and every Saturday, and last Saturday's inclusion of the philanthropic deeds of American Chuck Feeney was no exception.

That same Chuck Feeney and his philanthropic arm "Atlantic Philanthropies", aided and abetted by a deep friendship with the lovable larrikin Australian tennis prodigy, Ken Fletcher, donated over $350 million of his fortune to medical research and innovation in Brisbane, Melbourne and Hobart, among others.

Ironically $7 million of his donation was to establish the Council for Encouragement of Philanthropy in Australia as Feeney was dismayed at the lack of corporate philanthropy in Australia at the time. One wonders if much has changed.

Hugh Lunn, also a great mate of Ken Fletcher, in his book "The Great Fletch" goes into great detail about the Feeney/Fletcher connection. And a great read to boot.

MORE STORIES:

The City of Greater Bendigo encourages us to recycle plastics, paper, glass etc. and to separate these items.

As a resident of Kangaroo Flat, the council asks me to drive 12km to Eaglehawk to recycle soft plastics. Council advises me they do not have the resources available to have a drop off point in Kangaroo Flat for soft plastics.

The council website says there is a glass drop off facility at Lansell Square. There was one a few weeks ago but it is not there at the moment.

Earlier today I drove to Eaglehawk Recycling centre to drop off soft plastics and glass. I was instructed to put the soft plastic in a designated cage and I was instructed to put the glass in a cage co-mingled with plastic, metal cans and containers.

Why did I bother trying to recycle when the council make it so very difficult?

Have your say. Send Letters to the editor to addynews@austcommunitymedia.com.au or via this link.

Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.