Interesting piece. A few points:

1. Who are "progressives"? I fervently look forward to the day when one of us is our Head of State, and I vote Liberal. Does this mean I am a "progressive"?

2. One might expect "progressives" to champion an Australian Head of State, but it will never happen until the conservative side of politics backs the concept. They may well do so, when the time is right. Many prominent conservatives support having an Australian Head of State, examples being Malcolm Turnbull, Andrew Robb, Joe Hockey, Chris Pyne, Simon Birmingham, Tim Fischer, Doug Anthony, Amanda Vanstone, to name just a few.

3. Speaking about "the republic" is very nebulous. What you mean by "the republic" may be very different to what I mean by it. Does one mean a republic like the USA? Or one like France? Or one like Ireland or Germany? or one like the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Most people in the mainstream who favour an Australian Head of State actually mean that they want to see a democratically chosen Australian at the apex of our existing federal parliamentary democracy, and having a role and powers substantially the same as the Governor-General, recognising that we are a de facto republic already.

We will be far more likely to achieve national consensus on this if, instead, we debate the Head of State issue, and relegate the "r" word to the waste paper bin.

Any attempts to amend the Constitution are usually undermined by compulsory voting as the ignorant and apathetic are forced to vote on issues on which the have neither the interest nor understanding, they're probably impervious to rational arguments--to play safe the obvious vote is "No". If compulsory voting were abolished the chances of an Australian Head of State/ Republic would be increased considerably.

David would do well to heed his own words. He says here, "Imagine if we involved the Australian community in designing the republic, to live up to what's best about Australia."

Well I tried to do just exactly that over at the ARM's Facebook site. I wrote a few comments stating the truth and received the most intense abuse imaginable. Essentially, I said republicans need to accept we are independent and fully in control of our own destiny already and that to succeed at their last step to remove the crown, they have to decide how and what to do and then sell it by comparison to (and they accept this) our very successful present system. They have to stop abusing and ridiculing their opponents. They have to stop with the mushy slogans and tripe about "becoming fully independent" or not being identified as a "colonial outpost". All these defects are evident here in David's piece.

What result did I achieve? I was banned from the site.

So much for involving the Australian community. David Morris, take note.

David, what happened to the republic as an issue was that its significance was never properly explained in 1999, and we haven’t moved on since then.

If a republic is presented as getting rid of the Queen, most believe this has little practical impact on us, and think it’s not a priority.

If it is presented as ‘values, identity and place in the world’, as your ARM is currently doing, people find this unconvincing. Essentially we are independent, and removing the last of the colonial links is again unimportant compared to whether our jobs are safe and whether we can get through the worsening traffic.

Currently these unimpressive arguments are underlined by the lack of a clear model for change.

I have produced a clear model, which also explains the real significance of a republic. Removing the Crown only makes sense if the role and the powers of the Crown are removed, and replaced with a system based on democratic principle.

My model is at www.advancingdemocracy.info. If progressives started talking about it, the public’s interest in the issue would be reinvigorated.

How anyone in their right mind could advocate that Australia becomes a republic after the recent Government Shutdown and the Debt Ceiling Crisis in America is beyond me.

Australia doesn't need a republic. All it needs are some politicians with balls and a backbone and the intelligence to see that fawning over American is equivalent to making a pact with the Devil.

Wake from your dream, Australians. You are backing the wrong horse!

Neutrality is the best horse. Wins hands down!

Without banking reform, we are all doomed to abject slavery. Our banks create from nothing all the money to = growth + inflation. They own us and our Govts.

Why have progressives neglected the republic?

probably because it is meaningless at this stage.

I know this is one of those issues I should care about more, but I don't. So far, most referendum debates seem to centre on whether or not to have a filthy rich ex-politician Australian as our head of state rather than a filthy rich English monarch.

I would much rather have a referendum on a change of flag that gets rid of the Union Jack and uses colours that don't seriously clash with what have now become our national colours of gold and green (which I'd also like to see changed as that particular colour combination always makes me bilious). And while we're at it, why can't we get ourselves a more rousing national anthem than the terminally dull Advance Australia Fair?

I'd also love to see a campaign on naming reforms that get rid of all those Prince This and Royal That and Queen Somebody or Other from every second public building, hospital, park, highway, bridge and whatever.

Also, a campaign to change the names of the states would get me really excited. Tasmania is the only state that has a halfway decent title. The identity of South and Western Australia and the Northern Territory are defined merely as points on a compass. NSW bears absolutely NO resemblance whatsoever to southern Wales. Queensland is not full of queens, and Victoria could just as easily be Matilda.

Killarney,
I fully agree that there are far more important issues to tackle before we should worry about frivolous idealistic stuff. Corruption within the Public service is something that is getting way too ripe. sorting that out will clear the way to a better Australia.

Currently we live in and Oligarchy in which private Corporations control our Govts. That by definition is fascism.

can't speak for progressives, but my opinion it is a trivial issue

This is an issue only for the elites, & I personally am quite glad it gets up their collective noses that real people just aren't interested.

I must admit mac's post is telling in stating this fact so clearly. It must gall the inner city chattering classes that we in the sticks don't immediately recognise their superiority of thought process, & do their bidding.

Stop fretting kids, you'll get your republic eventually, but the way we are going, it will probably be an Islamic one. I wonder how the chattering class will like a republic with no wine, no pot, no feminists, & a requirement to actually work for a living. I reckon they will long for the society they so disparage today.

It's a non issue.
There are far more important things to do first.
Like finally reforming the tax act to restore true equity and fairness, as well as completely stop all avoidance!
Avoidance that simply places a heavier burden on those who have no means or mechanisms that allows them to also avoid.
Meaning, a greater and greater burden is falling on fewer and fewer shoulders!
And some govts or politicians have been patently complicit in this outcome, with legislation that transfers more and more of the burden on to the shoulders of those, who have the least.
Also, before we worry about a republic and who will wield the most power; the president or the PM, we need a bill of rights, to ensure those who wield the power, don't wield it with excess, as occurred in the case of Dr Haneef and or, dozens of other cases!
Power in the wrong hands, even in a democracy, can and has resulted in a police state, with the police becoming a compliant and or corrupt arm, of an over controlling govt?
If changing the head of state, changed anything else, it might even be an exercise actually worth considering.
Albeit, our current head of state, treats us as aliens, when we visit her country, and selectively disadvantageous us, in trade deals, where we and the so-called mother country compete!
Rhrosty.

At the risk of being repetitive, let me restate once again why we will never have a republic unless there is some unforseeable political eruption.

The fact is that the people recognise that their main enemy is the current political elite. The failure of the elite to recognise that their duty is to implement the wishes of the people continues to rankle. The elite need to take into account that wonderful day in 1975 when the Prime Minister was dismissed by Her Majesty's representative. One way this could be done would be to rename the office of Governor-General to "Prime Ministerial Pisser-Offer in Chief".

If people are serious about wanting a republic, they need to offer a quid pro quo. One idea would to be to implement citizen initiated referendum, along the lines operating in Switzerland, which would enable the people to enact legislation in the teeth of the opposition of the political, judicial and business elite. If this were done, the first could be on bring back hanging, and the second on setting all political salaries equal to the dole.

Because the elite find many objectionable provisions in our Constitution that they are unable to change, the Constitution is not taught and few understand it. This actually hinders change, as opponents can say: "If you don't understand it, play safe and vote NO. If you do understand it, you would know why you should vote NO."

Due to the inability to get the people to agree on constitutional change we have several ludicrous results, one of which is that our constitution is now in force on the ships of a foreign country. (How can the ships be foreign if the Constitution is in force there?).

Some people suggest that the easiest way to have an Australian Head of State is to make the Queen an Australian Citizen. They do not understand, as the Queen is not a citizen of anywhere, just the Queen. She does not even have a passport.

You don't own this country since the bankers with their corporate shills bought us out over the last 50 yrs.

Talk of a republic is utter nonsense unless we get back some sort of financial sovereignty.

Mayer Rothschild," Give me control of a nation's currency and I care not who makes the laws."

A few posters here are confusing a republic with a general reform of our political processes.

Except for the ceremonial head of state, Australia is a republic in every sense.

As for reform of the political processes, the system is far too entrenched to even hope to achieve fundamental change on any level. The ruling oligarchy (and I don't refer to the politicians du jour) has absolutely every aspect of our existence under their complete control - not a single worthwhile social or political reform can ever take place unless there is something in it for them.

When it's in their interests for Australia to become a republic, we'll get one. Not a moment before.

Timely article. If the ARM is resuming activity one would hope that they have moved away from the Minimalist approach that has characterised its position and that of the major parties as well. I have not neglected the Republic issue at all as can be judged from my website www.republicnow.org BUT the view expressed there is that a Republic has to be approached from a Maximalist perspective. There is much more to be addressed than the Head of State issue. In fact the "much more" is simply the essence of serious Republicanism and the ARM has shied away from this from the start. The first step surely would have to be to fix the electoral system. This is not only what has happened to the Senate, something that one could see coming since 1984, but the entire electoral system that so grossly advantages the major parties that electors, especially the young, have turned their back on it. If you are interested in the need for other major reforms, like the federal system and the constitution as a whole, please go to my new short eBook published by three publishers in the US via BookPod in Melbourne:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUSGN3G
or
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/australia-reconstructed/book-NkET686PbE-srNYdNHfhow/page1.html
or
https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9780987570192