Helen Dale

Sunday

Helen Dale

Why Australia’s Voice vote failed

From our UK edition

Since 1999, asking how many referendums Australia has had – then how many have passed – has been a pair of standard pub quiz questions. Everyone knew we’d had 44 since Federation in 1901 and only eight had ever passed.Well, questioners in pubs across the country will have to make a minor update. Australia has now had 45 referendums, for a meagre harvest of eight changes to its written constitution. The Voice to parliament has been voted down even more comprehensively than the Republic was in 1999. It lost in every state and one of the country’s two sparsely populated territories. If it were possible to kill it any deader, it’s difficult to see how.Australia is a proud constitutional bowerbird.

Monday

Helen Dale

Greta Thunberg’s supporters can’t have it both ways

From our UK edition

Last Tuesday evening, I tweeted the following: It was, fairly obviously, a joke. But the fallout was extraordinary.  The gag split people politically. Many of those on the right thought the idea hilarious and a good way to scrutinise an activist who MPs were busy fawning over; my critics on the left suggested I should leave Greta alone because of her age. Both sides then proceeded to fight interminably in my mentions for a week. Twitter could barely cope and — to use its argot — I muted the thread and deleted the app before it destroyed my phone.  Some of those who attacked me then set about reporting me to Twitter with a view to getting me banned. But while they failed in doing so, this attempt at silencing those who didn't follow the consensus was revealing.

Wednesday

Helen Dale

What a drag it is defending free speech

From our UK edition

Sunday’s March for Freedom on Whitehall was peculiar, as far right protests go. It didn’t just feature the usual suspects as speakers – Milo Yiannopoulos and Tommy Robinson – but Muslims, comedians and queer people. While Milo is flamboyantly gay and For Britain party leader Anne Marie Waters defiantly lesbian, drag artist Vanity Von Glow was queerer than the pair of them together. Yes, Tommy Robinson’s rally for free speech included a proper, honest-to-goodness drag queen. I learnt about her performance not at the time but afterwards, as I watched a Twitter-swarm form and descend on venues where she performs and do its best to put her out of business.