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The Forum > Article Comments > The clash of sentiments, or the monarchy-republic debate in Australia > Comments

The clash of sentiments, or the monarchy-republic debate in Australia : Comments

By Stephen Chavura, published 19/1/2017

Australia is in an interesting situation, for there seems no good positive reason to stay a monarchy and no good positive reason to switch to a republic.

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There is no " monarchy- republic" debate in Australia. The media has no interest at the moment, so there is nothing to discuss.

An interesting piece,though,which indicates that the republic nonsense is a waste of time. Australia has some actually vital matters to deal with, starting with an all-time low in government.
Posted by ttbn, Thursday, 19 January 2017 10:24:14 AM
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There are myriad trade and commerce reasons to switch to a republic and few if any to retain a FOREIGN monarch, But particularly one that spruiks for the mother land and against us in trade and commerce related contests!

One can't be half pregnant, nor a part time sovereign, or when economically convenient! moreover, one shouldn't need both passport and visa to seek an audience, with our HEAD OF STATE!

As ever the monarchists in our midst will mount the usual disingenuous argument for doing nothing!? What would change if an Australian was our elected head of state? Very little, given is mostly a symbolic role and the one occupying it is a Parliamentary appointment!

, And if that were to continue? Most of this obtuse obfuscation would melt back into the Victorian era, from whence it came?

The usual suspects/control freaks are against change or the irrevocable bill of rights that would surely follow, if more power were invested in the people, rather than those who want to continue to wield it like a divine born to rule right?

But before we become a republic, we need to finally become a fair dinkum democracy! As does the major parties! Our alleged rights and or our voting intentions, ought not be be disabled or rerouted by electoral manipulation or the stroke of a parliamentary/party pen?
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Thursday, 19 January 2017 11:44:19 AM
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Ttbn..
Too true. As more evidence, Baird is gone, we await another dog for the NSW dog and pony show.
Bet nothing changes for the better!
Posted by diver dan, Thursday, 19 January 2017 11:44:41 AM
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Hey Al..
You summed up the populations anxieties in your last paragraph.
Won't happen and shouldn't happen. Agree with Author here!
Posted by diver dan, Thursday, 19 January 2017 11:49:19 AM
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The best argument to become a republic is to change our political system at the same time.
There is no will at all from our pollies to move to a system that would make them more accountable, so it will only happen with a peoples movement, and things have to be completely stuffed before we would motive enough of us to do something.
Posted by Cobber the hound, Thursday, 19 January 2017 12:15:41 PM
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The statement that there is “no good positive reason to switch to a republic” is true only if one assumes - wrongly - that the arguments of the Australian Republican Movement are all that can be said on the matter. The ARM has never had a clue about the real issues, and a docile media refuses to cover any rival ideas.

The author does not seem to have a grasp of what occurred in 1975, and how it invalidates the argument that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The 1975 crisis only happened because of Crown power.

The Liberals blocked supply in the senate, so that they could cause an early election and take government. The senate could not do that on its own. It had to rely on the power of the Crown to dismiss an elected government, and to dissolve the House of Representatives even though the government had a working majority in the House.

So if these remnant Crown powers had not existed, had they instead been vested in the House as democracy requires, the Liberals would NOT have blocked supply. There would have been no point. There would have been no crisis at all. Labor would have seen out its term, unless the House voted it out before then (as happened to Labor governments in 1917 and 1932, and to non-Labor governments in 1929 and 1940).

Our Constitution is hopelessly broken, because it contains two ways of gaining government. The first is what we all expect to happen - that one party wins the election. But the Constitution actually sets out the a different way - gaining the favour of the Governor-General, who is not obliged to follow the result of the election. This permits the minority which lost the last election to throw out the majority which won, if the Governor-General is prepared to support them, as in 1975. The strategy could not work were it not for the antiquated power of the Crown.

[More following]
Posted by Philip Howell, Thursday, 19 January 2017 12:18:58 PM
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