Someone please tell me how most Americans(and other countries)got the stupid notion that Australia was a largely socially progressive nation?
The social welfare and medicare systems are percieved completely differently in Australian then it would be in say the USA. Just because some country has a welfare system that actually is in a semi-working state doesnt mean they are going to spontaneously turn into a communist state.
Australian politics is generally fast at responding to perceived political topics.
Australian Aboriginals have only been allowed legal access to alcohol(it was written into the Constitution that it was a criminal act ot supply Aboriginals with alcohol) for about 42 years. When Aboriginals were granted the right to vote(requiring a consitutional amendment), they also wacked the non-alcohol statement in the constitution.
In comparison women(over 21) could vote in Western Australian elections in 1899, as a consequence of the Australian federal consitution had the right to vote when the Commonwealth of Australia was formed.
On a slightly different note:
Cat-kill sentence appeal applauded
Apparently a $2000 fine(judge was told the max fine was $14k instead of $75k too), and getting a criminal record plus being kicked out of the army isnt enough.Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson yesterday announced his decision to appeal on the grounds the sentences imposed on the men were "inadequate".
Hope they get fined to the maxium extend of the law.
