One doesn’t have to agree with same-sex marriage equality to form an opinion on the federal government’s handling of it. It’s been simply woeful, from the abdication of a parliamentary vote right through to the expensive postal plebiscite. It’s little wonder voters are disillusioned with politicians when they come up with a strategy straight out of former Prime Minister John Howard’s playbook on how to make something fail. Worse still, the postal plebiscite is non-binding. MPs and Senators can ultimately vote how they wish. It may or may not reflect the majority of their constituents’ will, but how will they know and will they care anyway? Perplexingly, the Australian Bureau of Statistics is running the show, not the Australian Electoral Commission. Will the ABS give MPs a breakdown of the way their electorates voted in the same way the AEC does? The government must also tighten up rules on the nature of campaign material, normally overseen by the AEC. Hume MP Angus Taylor has not publicly aired his view on marriage equality. Early in the piece he committed to “soundings” of his electorate, but he has never stated the result. Likewise, he declined to say this time which way he would be voting. People would like to know, especially if an overwhelming majority in Hume vote yes.  Those politicians failing to commit hide behind the statement it is not “a first order issue.” Maybe not, but people are certainly talking about it. Sadly, and despite the plebiscite, political factions will wield their influence, as another former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is demonstrating. A simple vote in parliament could save us all this money and trouble.  Speaking of politicians, the Nationals-held seat of Dubbo has won big with the announcement of a rail maintenance centre to service the new Explorer, Endeavour and XPT trains. Notably, it did not go to Orange, lost by the Nationals and now held by the Shooters and Fishers’ Philip Donato, despite being well in the running beforehand. But even more notably, Goulburn, which is strategically positioned on the rail corridor, and with a long history of rail maintenance, missed out. Were we ever a serious consideration? Goulburn MP Pru Goward says it’s because our lines are “too congested”. We suspect that yet again politics played its hand. 
