Australians thought they had settled the question of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. More than 60 per cent voted No, and every state rejected the proposal. But Sally McManus, secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and an ardent advocate for the Voice, has other ideas. In the 70s, feminists marched in the streets chanting, ‘Whatever we do, wherever we go, Yes means Yes, and No means No’. McManus is a feminist, but these days, it seems No means ‘Not yet. Maybe next time.’

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry on racism against Indigenous people last week, the ACTU argued that a Voice ‘is a fundamental structural anti-racism mechanism if Australia is to begin addressing and eliminating the racism, hate, and violence faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’.

This is not an attempt to take on board Australians’ rejection of the proposition and come up with something better. On the contrary, it contains the same agenda – self-determination, an Orwellian truth-telling commission and a treaty-making process through a Makarrata commission.

According to the ACTU, there is also a ‘need to revisit celebrating the 26th of January’ because celebrating Australia Day on that date ‘reinforces structural racism by normalising a national narrative that excludes and harms Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’.

Yet the ACTU is not so naive as to insist on another referendum. It is calling for ‘a constitutionally enshrined voice, a legislated advisory body or a treaty-negotiating assembly’ for Aboriginal Australians.

No one should be under any illusion that this submission is merely an empty gesture by hard-left activists in the union movement. The ACTU delivers much of the funds that Labor relies on in elections; that buys a very big seat at the table.

Indeed, the ACTU is a stalking horse for the Albanese government, trotting out bad ideas that the government then adopts. It advocated the recognition of Palestinian statehood and the recent industrial relations ‘reforms’ that will spread the union waste, inefficiency and corruption seen in Victoria and Queensland nationwide.

We have already seen Mr Albanese ‘change his position’ on capital gains tax and negative gearing. So, we will not be surprised if he ‘changes his position’ on the Voice and Australia Day. Indeed, The Spectator Australia warned before the 2025 election that if the Albanese government was re-elected, it would introduce a legislated Voice by stealth. Australians, however, will not ‘change their position’; they have already given their answer. No still means no.

Vale, Teena McQueen

It was with deep sadness and shock that The Spectator Australia learned last week of the sudden passing of Teena McQueen, former Vice President of the Liberal Party, who had recently moved to One Nation. Teena was a loyal patriot and a courageous conservative who played a prominent role in the national debate through regular appearances on Sky TV. Audiences loved her larrikin spirit and irrepressible sense of humour. Among her many achievements, she brought together the original Outsiders on Sky News, brilliantly hosted by Spectator Australia editor-in-chief, Rowan Dean (who is on leave).

Teena devoted her life to the Liberal party, to protecting Australian values, and to advancing the national interest. Yet, in recent years, she faced an onslaught of criticism from those within her party who favoured the very energy policies that, under the Albanese Labor government, are sapping national productivity, fuelling inflation, and inexorably adding to the government’s trillion-dollar debt. Eventually, factional infighting drove her to join One Nation. Yet, regardless of party allegiances, she remained true to her values and her friends.

Vale, Teena, until we meet again.