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Given Australia’s last referendum was in 1999, many of us were not able to take part in it, and most of us have forgotten what it was like.
That could be one reason things have been getting so heated, and misinformation has been rife.
Today, legal expert Joe McIntyre offers some helpful tips for how we should take part in a referendum. He reminds us it’s understandable if we find the debate confusing, that our Constitution is not set in stone and it’s fine to change it if that’s what the nation wants, and that no-one has the right(eous) answer.
And if you don’t know, he says, learn. There are plenty of resources around, including The Conversation’s explanatory content, written by experts.
His seven tips aim to make this debate a more respectful, engaged and informed one. As citizens, he writes, we have an obligation to ensure we’re informed about the key ideas and issues before we enter the ballot box. Otherwise, what was this all for?
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Alexandra Hansen
Deputy Editor and Chief of Staff
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Joe McIntyre, University of South Australia
Unfortunately we’re a bit out of practice in how to conduct ourselves in a referendum. These seven rules may help.
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Science + Technology
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Jacob Maher, University of Adelaide; Phill Cassey, University of Adelaide
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Sarah Legge, Australian National University; Jaana Dielenberg, Charles Darwin University; John Woinarski, Charles Darwin University
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Auckland University of Technology
Auckland, New Zealand
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Auckland, New Zealand
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