As for learning Asian languages? Why? English is now very much an international language and the language of science, with many nations using it as their preferred second language, which in many cases like India, of many internal dialects, allows them to conduct a internal dialogue.
I was married to an Asian lass, who is the mother of my children. Anyhow, and not long after we tied the knot, I was singing in the shower, something I picked up from the Goon show and Indian born Spike Milligan; ying tong ying tong ying tong piddle li po, piddle li po, piddle li po, endlessly repeated. Anyway, the Missus piped up with, I didn't know you knew Chinese? Neither did I, I replied. Who said Asians have no sense of humour. Rhrosty.

I have to wonder what David Morris wants Brand Australia to look like? And, what exactly has our geographical position got to do with it?

We are currently part of a league, including the UK, Canada and India, amongst others, and we don't see them squirming - either about their own Brands or about our membership. A republic would put us out on our own, and David Morris contends this would enable us to grow-up - but I think we are grown-up, and are quite happy with our affiliations and our place in the world. What we do need, however, is to build our own industrial independence, rather than relying on setting-up businesses in Asian or other countries just to take advantage of cheap labour and other concessions. Soon enough, our Asian neighbours will be doing it all themselves, without need for either our capital or our business acumen.

For the longer term, we will have to develop our internal labour, entrepreneurial-ship and inventiveness, just to keep pace, and to remain a viable, affluent and resilient society once we can no longer ride on the mining boom, or we will risk losing our national identity and sovereignty amongst nations. For us to sell Australia, others need to buy Australia, and they will only do this if we have something worthwhile to sell, and at the right price - Republic or not.

I also think we are not an Asian nation, and would not wish to be such. We get along with our neighbours, don't agree entirely with their approach to human rights in all cases, but we have found ways to trade without fear, insecurity, uncertainty or suspicion of our methods, objectives or intentions. We are one of the free-est nations on the planet, and would have no wish to regress from this. I therefore think we represent a model to which others might well aspire. However, we cannot afford to remain complacent.

We have many needs, but becoming a Republic rests fairly at the bottom of the agenda, and in my view would be retrograde in any event.

The Author, like so many academics, utterly fails to understand the attitude of so many ordinary Australian voters to politicians of all parties. He obviously fails to understand how happy they are that the Prime Minister, under section 64 of the Constitution, holds office during the pleasure of the Queen's representative, who in turn holds office during her pleasure. Enthusiastically adopting the old convict adage that the government is the enemy of the people, they are also comforted by section 59 of the Constitution, which provides that the Queen may disallow any law within one year of the Governor-General's assent. To many of these people each election is a combination of triumph and tragedy, as they find that the only way they can kick out the government is to elect the opposition.

The best example of this attitude that I have personally experienced came from a Broken Hill miner, a life-long Labor supporter, who, when asked in 1993 how he would vote in a Republic referendum, at a time when Keating was PM and Hewson opposition leader, said: "I would have to vote NO. What an opportunity to stick it up Keating, without having to elect Hewson".

The author might be better advised to encourage the High Court to rule that the sections of the Constitution relating to the Queen are transitional, and that there are implied clauses providing for a President elected by both Houses of Parliament.

The only referendum subjects likely to command mass approval would be those reducing politicians' salary and expenses, and those transferring Commonwealth powers to the states.

Saltpetre said;
And, what exactly has our geographical position got to do with it?
>
Well absolutly nothing. It is just that too many people went to
school with world maps on the wall in Mercators projection and so they
think that Australia is in Asia.
Actually Asia is on the other side of the world.
If globes were shown with their axis in Mid Pacific at the equator
and Mid Atlantic they would understand it better.

Many people do not understand that neither Indonesia or the Phillipines are in Asia.