That high-profile duo,picked to replace the ARM’s forever figureheadPeter FitzSimonsin 2022,both quit following a falling out over Israel’s war on Hamas. Without a former Socceroo turned telegenic human rights advocate,and an ex-Labor senator who was Australia’s first Indigenous Olympic gold medallist,the ARM is in serious need of star power.

Or at least,someone who will go onSky Newsand debateEric Abetz,the former Liberal senator who is now running the Monarchist League. With the recently concluded elections throwing up few people with much name recognition,CBD heard ABC presenterAdam Spencerwas being courted as co-chair,ahead of Tuesday’s all-critical board meeting.

But on Monday,Spencer told CBD he wouldn’t be nominating for the top job. Aside from new youth convenorYasmin Poole,who’s been on the ABC’s near-terminal Q&A a couple of times,there’s nobody on the new board with much of a profile,and CBD hears the next chairs are likely to be ARM stalwarts without much name recognition.

That next referendum looks ever more distant.

GREAT NORTHERN

Every few years,the Australian Electoral Commission responds to changing demographics by redrawing the country’s political map and erasing the odd seat.

But only in North Sydney has a proposal to abolish an electorate caused such a full-blown meltdown. Last week,a petition being circulated online and around the community urged locals to resist the AEC and “Save North Sydney”.

“Many of us do not want to be moved into a new electorate,and to be detached from sports facilities,schools,businesses and community groups,” the petition’s creators wrote,seemingly unaware that electoral boundaries impact literally none of those things.

“The AEC’s proposal has not taken into account North Sydney’s strong sense of identity and social cohesion,” it thundered,noting that the electorate was special for being one of the few to vote Yes at last year’s Voice to Parliament referendum.

None of this is relevant to the boffins at the AEC. Nevertheless,the petition was boosted by the seat’s teal independent MPKylea Tink,whose own short political career could be ended by the brutal arithmetic of the boundary changes.

Tink’s best shot is to jump to neighbouring Bradfield,a play that is complicated by the fact that wannabe teal MPNicolette Boelehas already started calling herself the “shadow member”.

So who gets to challenge LiberalPaul Fletcher? Last week,Boele held a zoom briefing on the redistribution along with community group Voices for Bradfield. Confusingly,that group’s spokespersonNick O’Briengave a pretty opaque answer about which candidate they’d back,effectively saying they’d wait on the AEC’s final decision.

CBD’s position remains that we would like to see the two aspiring candidates duke it out in a primary contest. The more democracy the better,after all.