Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers says the upcoming referendum on the Indigenous Voice to parliament will bring out the worst in some Australians.
To get out of an economics degree, future Australian Electoral commissioner Tom Rogers joined the army. It was a baptism of fire for a sheltered kid from Sydney’s north shore.
Rogers has no military background. His parents ran a small business and were supportive but thoroughly hands-off when it came to their fifth and youngest child’s life choices. Despite his aversion to economics, Rogers relishes complexity. The 61-year-old says he is methodical, a trait that proved important for his career, which includes 20 years in the military and two stints for the Australian Federal Police. He says his experiences readied him to take the AEC through its lowest point.is likely to be his last major job before he hands over the reins.
“Because I’d had such a sheltered upbringing, it was great baptism of fire and taught me a lot about surmounting challenges, which, to this day, has stood me in good stead,” he says. “It’s sometimes it all appears to be overwhelming. But there’s a way of getting through stuff and most of that is about planning.”The UN, blood and goulash
“This is my welcome to UN. We’ve got maybe 50 people there and all of a sudden, I’m just covered in goulash.” “And they both said to me, ‘Where the hell have you been?’ I said, ‘Is it cash, does Medicare pay everything? I have no idea’.”From Raytheon, Rogers went to the AFP’s Australian Institute of Police Management, first as its director of programs and then as executive director. In a case of history repeating itself, Rogers’ father-in-law, a fellow Duntroon graduate, had run the same organisation many years previously.
“I think that’s going to unleash passions that we haven’t seen for a long time,” Rogers says of the upcoming referendum.Throughout the two-hour lunch and between colourful anecdotes, Rogers takes the conversation off the record nine times. But by and large, Rogers dubs it a success. “Culturally, it worked for us. I think Australians appreciate a sense of humour anyway.”is a different proposition and one Rogers is taking month-by-month.
“If supporters of a political party lose an election, they think, ‘That was a shame, but in three years time, we’ll have another crack.’ But the referendum’s once in a lifetime, and then it’s fixed and people understand that very deeply.Lost votes ‘tattooed’ in Rogers’ mind
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