Constitutional Expert Debunks Youtube Comments with Professor Anne Twomey | AUSPOL EXPLAINED

Not everyone understands the Constitution, but not all misunderstandings of the Constitution are equal. Over the years I've gotten a lot of very bizarre comments that make outlandishly wrong and even conspiracy theory level claims about what is actually in the Constitution, or what has become of it. Is the Australian Government actually a corporation registered in Washington DC? Are Australians secretly classified as cargo under maritime law? Is Western Australia non-existent? Did Gough Whitlam secretly replace the Constitution with a different colour? Of course not. None of these claims make any sense. So to debunk them I've got Professor Anne Twomey, constitutional expert, to explain how it actually works and to encourage people to do the most basic fact checking exercise of all: actually reading things. Enjoy!

Auspol Explained would like to acknowledge the Whadjuk Nyoongar people and their Elders as the owners and custodians of the Land that the episode was recorded and edited on. This Land was stolen and never ceded. It always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.

[JamesVCTH]

“Until the Parliament otherwise provides” is my favourite deliberately ignored phrase in the Constitution 😂

[coasterblocks]

I’ve had my own copy of The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, printed by P.J. Grills, Commonwealth of Australia Printer Canberra, since late in year 12, 1987.
I love it when someone on TV says “the constitution says…” and I can pull it off the shelf to verify or debunk the claim.

[Lurtz_s]

Just say the word constitution and sovereign citizens come out of the woodwork.

[ChuJungyin]

As an American, I have heard/read several conspiracy theories about the U.S. Constitution, some or which refer to maritime/admiralty law, the common law, governments are actually corporations, or some combinations of the foregoing. All of them conveniently allow the adherents of these theories to claim exemption from laws and taxation.

P.S. i prefer "referenda" as the plural.

[John-ulhv]

I believe 'How to Vote' should be taught in all senior years in High Schools to Vote out parties/in parties . I had to teach my children otherwise they just believe the politicians jargon, we Australians are NOT being represented at all

[stevegreen]

I laugh when Australians say the constitution gives them "rights" .. Its only a document setting out how the country should be run. Individual citizens don' get a mention.

[m_mitch]

The silliest thing I've heard about the constitution: "The Hansard of the 1890s Constitutional Convention has no bearing on the actual Constitution." At that rate I imagine that the dictionary has no bearing on it either?!!

[grandmothergoose]

I heard the first one about local governments being invalid around 30 years ago when I was working for my local city council - from someone that didn't want to pay their council rates, of course, as you do. This was around '93, before the internet was made public, when people still communicated in person, by phone, and facsimile. It stuck with me because up to that point it was the most bizarre thing I'd ever heard (in the past 10 years the weirdness has accelerated quite a lot). Now that people can just pull a device out of their pocket, look up and actually read the constitution at any moment that suits, them, it's painful to know that people are still gullible enough to actually belief such nonsense.

[davidstokes]

Anne appear to be getting a bit frustrated by the stupidity of some of the "conspiracies". I don't blame her. Do as she says, read the Constitution, its free from the POE.

[davidbeazley]

I was handing out pamphlets during the last Victorian state elections and a guy from the fishers and shooters party asked who I was voting for. I told him I couldn’t vote because I am still a New Zealand citizen. He tried to tell me that because I am a “Commonwealth citizen” that I actually was eligible to vote. I pulled up the AEC website to show him but he was adamant and said I was being lied to… he seemed relatively normal until then.

[steveremington]

It is a sad indictment on the Australian population that time had to be spent on debunking these ridiculous claims.

Sadly, none of the people spreading these ridiculous claims will change their wilfully ignorant minds as a result of this video.

[michaeljohn]

Congratulations, this is one of the most interesting, articulate and intelligent conversations I have ever had the Privilege of listening to. What a refreshing and wonderful experience to be able to hear this fantastic lady make sense of the convoluted BS creeping into the Australian Vernacular via Social Media. Well done. Cheers from Michael. Australia.

[williamsutter]

I was pleased to find this video and to see that Anne Twomey has a YouTube channel. I recall reading a book she coauthored -- the Oxford Handbook of the Australian Constitution.

[OptimalToast]

I do appreciate people attempting to find gaps and poke holes in the Constitution, it brings it to the forefront of discussions more, and just maybe one day they can help assist in adding a few more pages to it. 😄 It's okay (for now) to make legitimate mistakes about it, but it helps nobody when imaginations run wild.

[MAGHO]

For newly arrived migrants who don't have any point of reference on Australia's politics, history, law, ... this information is crucial for obvious reasons.
Thank you for sharing.

[grove]

As always amazing content. I wish people were reading something beside the headlines, it would make our life as a community so much easier. Thanks for that nice collaboration!

[johnchrysostomon]

If you look at the people who wrote the constitution they had a very different idea than those who interpret it today. They ruled often in favour of the states. Now the fed government gets more and more power.

Therefore the 'debates' on it don't really matter anymore

Also it's a shame our High Court declared that the constitution is not abiding for all Australians by granting a second sovereignty called Native Title

[BenDRobinson]

I think it's terrific that Prof Twomey went to the bother of trying to work out what grain of truth people had built their crazy theories on. It would no doubt be easy to respond to any one of these claims with "WTF? That makes no sense!" which, although perhaps fair, would be far less effective in helping people let go of their delusions.

[phwbooth]

Dame Anne Twomey? I like 'Emerita', I have to say. Well explained, as always. Thanks.

[avidtom]

In ref to the discussion 20:00 of the Queen signing at the top, I note that the July1900 Bill for an Australian Constitution is on permanent display in Members' Hall at Parliament House, Canberra. It is displayed on Queen Victoria's writing desk from Windsor Castle. The Bill has in text at the bottom 'signed by her own hand'. So people quite often think it is not the document actually bearing the signature. Queen Victoria's signature appears, quite faintly, at the top.