Canadian colonial histories

Jan 17, 2025 | openforum.com.au | Canadian colonial histories |Australian nationalism |Benjamin Jones

In his farewell address, outgoing US President Joe Biden warned “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy”. The comment suggests that, under Donald Trump’s second term as president, it will be billionaires rather than the people who shape public policy. There is certainly some evidence Biden’s ominous caution should be taken seriously.

Sep 20, 2023 | openforum.com.au | Benjamin Jones |Canadian colonial histories |Australian nationalism

The Australian nation came into being following a series of referendums in the 1890s, and they have been a regular feature of Australian democracy ever since. In every decade of the 20th century, there was at least one referendum. However, the 2023 referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament will be the first in nearly a quarter of a century. The authors of the Australian Constitution wanted it to be an enduring but not unchanging document.