This referendum vote proves, yet again, the apparent disconnection between the values and attitudes of city dwellers and people living in small outlying communities. By now, the Two Nations theory is well documented. The same demographic divide was in evidence at the 18 September state election, when Jeff Kennett was punished by rural communities distrustful of his big-city agenda and intent on ensuring their voice was heeded. In 1996, Paul Keating suffered a similar fate. In 1998, One Nation's idiosyncratic brand of retro politics attracted one million votes from this same constituency.
Rural grievance has a long tradition in Australian politics.
But seldom has it had more impact at the ballot box than in the 1990s. The decade has not been kind to the bush. Commodity prices have slumped. Protective barriers have been removed as Australia embraces the global push for open markets. As both government and private industry search for efficiencies in service provision, rural communities have felt the pain of adjustment more than most.