Does everyone really deserve to have a say on key issues?

They tend to give it.

And often it is the ill-informed, uneducated, ignorant and plain stupid voices that seem to be screeching the loudest whenever there is a chance to have an input.

But should it always be so?

Are there times when we should say that some people are too stupid, their views are too twisted, to be afforded the privilege of having a say in the running of anything more important that a race between cockroaches.

Take the coming referendum at creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

There has been plenty of debate from both sides of the argument, and a lot of it has been reasonable.

But then you get the fringe elements, raising ridiculous claims like a Yes vote will help usher in a new world order.

Now, if it was up to me, anyone expressing that sort of sentiment would be banned from voting because they have clearly lost all grip on reality, and are unable to make an informed decision.

I would put in the same boat all those still holding onto the belief that COVID-19 was some sort of conspiracy in which all the world's governments worked together to kill thousands of people and flood health care services with the sick and critically ill.

I mean, anyone who believes all the world's governments can work together on anything, clearly should not be voting on anything as important as constitutional change.

Now, I understand the notion of referendums, and Australia's political system being based on the notion that everyone should have an equal say at certain times.

But shouldn't we draw a line somewhere?

How many times have we seen good ideas destroyed through the words and actions of the stupid, the clueless and the empty headed - and that is just in our various levels of government?

So let's start disqualifying a few people.

Use the phrase "do your research" - with a few capital letters thrown randomly in there - when asked to provide evidence to back up your outrageous claims? You're out.

Argue the earth is flat, despite centuries of science? No vote for you.

Then we go to people who key cars, and are clearly incapable of being part of a decent society - they're out.

Likewise anyone scrawling graffiti attacking any particular ethnic or racial group - you're out.

Bully a fellow reindeer because he has a shiny nose? You're out.

Hide down a drain wearing clown makeup? You're definitely out.

I'm sure many of you could come up with others who should be excluded from voting on important issues, and if you can't maybe you should be out of the equation as we try to ensure a reasonable and intelligent debate.

You know - the type of debate we never see in Parliament.