A short story to cheer us up

ONE day flying high above the earth Bunjil the eagle noticed that his people were unhappy. There had recently been a referendum on granting his people a voice and the Australian people had said no, and his people were feeling unvalued and rejected.  Bunjil thought that perhaps there was somebody amongst the more than five million people who voted yes who knew how to change the constitution without a referendum? Bunjil flew higher and higher until he sensed somebody who thought it could be done.

That person was a retired Army Officer who said that it might be able to be done using a precedent that dated back to the time of Richard the First.

“Firstly, you will need to call a women’s corroboree to create a number of sacred objects imbued with your spirit, Bunjil,” he said.

“If your spirit is strong enough and the spirit of the young women who present it to the State Governors and the Governor General are strong enough then it should be powerful enough to change the constitution.”

So Bunjil agreed, there was a woman’s corroboree called and there the spirit of Bunjil entered the sacred objects.

“Be careful,” said the Officer.

“You will need to protect the power of secret women’s business so you will need to ask the Govenors to swear an oath not to reveal what is revealed to them before you communicate your Bunjil power. All they should be able to say is whether they believe or don’t believe Bunjil has the power to change the Constitution before they refer it to the High Court who should be required to swear a similar oath.”

At the woman’s corroboree several strong young women were chosen to present the objects. They then asked for and were granted an audience with the Governors under the agreed conditions. 

As they approached the Governors to present the offering the women grasped the sacred object high above their heads and also over the heads of the Governors and said, “This sacred object is imbued with the spirit of Bunjil who is the protector of his people. It is a nulla nulla or fighting stick. In accordance with a tradition of your people which dates back to the time of Richard the First you are now Bunjil’s captive, and he instructs me to demand as in the days of Richard the First, a King’s Ransom. That Ransom is Constitutional Recognition and a Voice to Parliament!”

A super majority of the Governors including the Governor General agreed after seeking guidance from their First Ministers that Bunjil did indeed have the power to change the Constitution and the High Court concurred that under the powers of Force Majest such an approach was legitimate.

And that boys and girls is how Bunjil the eagle changed the Australian Constitution.

Kevin Walsh RFD, Cape Paterson