Kimberley Caines: There could be daylight between Yes and No at Voice to Parliament referendum

It’s been nearly 16 years since Australians across the country hit the polls in daylight saving time. The last was the 2007 Federal election, when John Howard lost and Kevin Rudd got in. West Australians had only finished voting 1 hour and 36 minutes before Howard delivered a speech in Sydney to concede defeat. It was considered a historic win for Rudd. A landslide victory. A clear majority. This raises the question of whether polling booths will even be shut in WA before a result of the referendum is called on October 14. With the three-hour time difference between the country’s east and west — meaning a head start in counting votes everywhere but in WA — a clear majority for either Yes or No may be known earlier than in a Federal election. After all, the counting process for a referendum is much simpler. There are just three piles — Yes, No and informal votes — compared to elections that have a first preference count for each candidate and then a two-candidate-preferred count. For the referendum to be successful, a majority of voters in at least four States must vote in favour of it. There must also be an overall majority nationally. Hope is lost in WA and Queensland, while NSW and Victoria are more in the Yes camp. So South Australia and Tasmania are considered must-win seats for both sides of the referendum debate. It’s no coincidence then why we’re seeing the Albanese Government strategically stage big announcements on issues that matter to Australians most in these States. Anthony Albanese chose Adelaide to announce an inquiry into the nation’s pandemic response. A few days later, Treasurer Jim Chalmers released the employment white paper in the same city following a Cabinet meeting in the State. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten responded to the findings of the disability Royal Commission report on Friday — also in Adelaide. The Prime Minister will then take his Cabinet to Hobart for a meeting on Tuesday. This is after he gave some remarks and had a photo with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney yesterday to spruik the Yes vote. “This isn’t a radical proposal, nor is it a conservative proposal, it’s a mainstream proposal,” he said. “I sincerely hope that Australians vote Yes. People are now only focusing on what the question is. So, in these last two weeks, every conversation that people have will be critical. That’s how this referendum will be won.” We saw the exact same in the Federal election last year. Albanese held his campaign launch in Perth three weeks out from polling day because he knew it was the State he needed to get him into power. Sometimes these tactics pay off and sometimes they don’t. All will be revealed in just 11 days.