He has yet to announce the election date, but yesterday's "pledge" to hold another referendum on the preamble to the constitution has to be seen in the context that we all know that voting time is coming soon. The man is as cunning as the proverbial shithouse rat and today's headlines reflect the naivety with which the media generally receive whatever lies are propagated. So, what do I seen on the front pages today? Something like the conversion on the road to Damascus (where for Damascus you should read the sword thereof, because he sure as hell is going to go down this time).

Well, we should be used to this sort of rubbish by now and we should be a bit more prepared to search for the underlying meaning. In this case, the key words are "special but not separate". In other words, he proposes to have something nice in the preamble that acknowleges that Aborigines were here first and have a special role in the history of this country. From now on, though, the interpretation will be about how that's all in the past - now they have to have private property, monolingual (English) education and be treated like the rest of us. He still won't face the Aboriginal request for an official apology - that would be acknowledging (a) that past governments have in reality practised apartheid and (b) that to compensate for this Aborigines need special (i.e. separate) treatment that will restore self-esteem rather than continue to destroy it. Of course nobody's mentioning the other Aboriginal demand for a Treaty. No doubt he will consult Noel Pearson, but his track record (and that of the Minister) is of ignoring properly conducted consultations.

Howard is despicable. By playing to the general disquiet in the white (urban majority) community about the plight of Aboriginal communities he will try to get a yes vote, first in the election and then on his referendum. Then he will use that as an excuse to expropriate communal lands and give the go ahead to mining companies and property developers - especially where this can occur out among the rednecks, and out of sight of the urban bleeding hearts.