Stezza, thanks for your reply. In a way, answering my question with a question helped to reinforce my point, as did Pericles's post. I don't mind if we become a republic or not. If we become a republic and life continues just as it is, that's fine by me. If it brings in broad, sweeping changes, I'd like to know what those changes are before I sign up for them.

My concern relates to the title of the article and the contention that the authors seem to skirt around. If an Australian head of state is just part of the reason for an Australian Republic, then what are the other reasons and why should we like them? The authors constantly hint at other benefits, but don't explain them in any real terms.

As for the opinions of the outside world, I'd suggest that:
a) most world leaders rarely, if ever, think about Australia
b) those who do don't really care about our retention of a constitutional monarchy, and
c) those outsiders who do care tend to be people (such as Robert Mugabe) whose opinions don't carry much weight.

Like I said: I'm happy for our nation to shed its monarchy any time. If that step is going to have implications beyond the installation of an Australian head of state, I'd like to know what those implications are. If it isn't, I think it would be in all of our interests to acknowledge that, rather than presenting a republic as some sort of glorious reawakening as the authors seem to do.

What's the bet that the first "Australian" head of state is going to be someone like Ms Achmed bin Laden, who is a lesbian and who lives with her "partner" in Coogee, where she runs a vegen halal health store and works as a social worker part time counselling "refugees"?

No thanks.

Republic? Carbon Tax? Solar Schemes? Global Warming? Unemployment and Cost of Living? The Murray-Darling? Global Conflict? Third World Poverty, Repression, Abuse? Environmental Degradation? Melting Ice-caps? Animal Welfare? Whales, porpoises, tuna, penguins....? Boat People?

So many priorities demanding attention and action, as WmTrevor has put it, "to leave the world better than we found it", and as I think it was Ammonite who posted, "we have not inherited this earth from our Fathers, we are borrowing it from our children".

In Oz we have so much work to do to correct all the deficiencies in the opportunities afforded to our Indigenous Australians, to revitalise and strengthen our industry, economy and welfare, to manage immigration and the treatment of refugees, to improve education and health care, ... and so the list goes on. And, where in this ever-expanding list of priorities does an Oz Republic fit? Not very highly, I would have thought.

To borrow from many other posters: Emotion and rationality, experience, belief, education, politics, personal philosophy, family, friendships, career, lifestyle, quality of life, etc .. - all competing to determine, shape and mold our "world-view" and our priorities. In the circumstances, what is the possibility of "Oz-think", let alone "global-think"? Science has breached many boundaries, yet a "science" of rationality, of "common sense", seems far off. The world is currently akin to a stampeding herd, voraciously gobbling scarce and non-renewable resources, bursting at the seams with over-population, and running out of control with abuse, starvation and poverty. A "doppelganger" of disparity, disenfranchisement and devil-may-care. At once tremendous potential and enormous destructive capacity. How, when and where will either the denouement or the implosion be determined?

Our compassion is boundless, but rationality and clarity, not love, is what is so desperately needed, before the horse has well and truly bolted.

"A Republic will honour our Indigenous heritage and culture with its timeless connection to the Australian land and sea. It will acknowledgeour British heritage and recogniseits precious gifts, including our political and legal institutions.It will also celebrate our immigrant heritage of opportunity and endeavour, and its vital contribution to our national identity. An Australian Republic will respect our diversity, yet unite us as one."

I have a very nice bridge for sale, second hand , but well cared for by the original owners. You guys may be interested .