Did you get your own copy of the Crosby/Textor instructions David, or did you have to share with someone else?

It really is the last days of Rome for the Libs if Flint's out trying to wedge the ALP on the Republic issue. Tired of wedging. Tired of division. Me thinks Professor Flint actually wrote Flicka McMahon's article on selling the ABC. Ha!

Ahhhh! Flinty, dear boy.....

I seem to recall an obsequious exchange twixt yourself and a certain Mr Laws whist he was facing a few problems over broadcasting issues.

..now let me see..., who was involved in the panel that would be passing judgment on said broadcasting issues.................?

Honest mister, you en'arf a good judge of character.....

Davo, how on Earth would you have any credibility after the "cash-for-comment fiasco" I can't imagine why you are even considered to be published here, why not get your close mate Allan to help you with your vindictive ill informed rubbish.

We had a referendum on the issue of a republic and it was damned expensive exercise - it was lost in every state as well as by a majority of votes.
We are, to all intents and purposes, a republic already, a crowned republic.
The GG has two roles, one is as our head of state and the other is as the Queen's representative in her role as the head of the Commonwealth and our membership of it. The system works well and is seen as working well to give us stable government.
Those who cannot leave the issue alone are all too often those who think they would like the role of President knowing that they will never be offered the role og GG.
Becoming a 'republic' in name would do our system of government more harm than good and be an extraordinarily expensive exercise - one that would go on costing. The cost of being a crowned republic is minimal compared with this.
Republicans need to face reality.

Flinty indeed. Someone mention the Queen? Flinty jumps to attention when the Queen speaks. Or was it big Al?

Your use by date expired some time ago. Why don't you just fade away while enough people have already forgotten you.

Salute the Queen every night and tuck yourself into bed with the Pommy flag while you dream of.... Ahhh can't go there can I?

Communicat is here too! And supporting Flinty's line.

Sorry Communi. Howard allowed a vote but ensured the only response was NO. Let's have a real vote and get these royal parisites off our backs. Of course some like that position but...

The only item raised from the floor in our recent Riverine Club AGM was this. Some chap put his hand up. Our president, Mr Brockhouse, recognised him and sought out his query more fully:

Member:Mr President, sir, I wish to raise a matter about the reading room. I don't know where to start. If you or any other members have been in the reading room of late.
Brocky:Yes?
Member:It's her majesty.
Brocky:Yes. There's a portrait in there.
Member:Well, and I think all other members will agree, that it's disgraceful that her majesty's portrait should hang in the manner it is.
Brocky:Sorry?
Member:The portrait of her majesty is hanging disrespectfully low.
Brocky:Oh. I see.
Member:And her majesty's late father is in a higher position.
Brocky:I see. Probably not by much though.
Member:By at least a couple of inches.
Brocky:I see. Yes come to think of it, it is. Also, the late King is in a larger frame in the reading room I believe. But you will agree that in other places of this fine old building, there are other great portraits of her majesty around the place which hang respectfully high enough, as they're on their own. They I'm sure will more than make up for it.
Member:Perhaps the club can doing something about it?
Brocky:Yes, I will write to her majesty forwith and seek her opinion on the subject....is there any other business?

There, was none.

(cont.below)

Admittedly, things aren't too bad when the only concern is to bitch about the height of a pickie that no-one really cares about. Perhaps a cheaper mind might argue that that's a metaphor for Australia but I shan't be so trite. I went into the reading room for the first time following the AGM and Ms Elizabeth Windsor's pickie was as he'd described, slightly lower than the late king's. However, I suspect the picture rail hadn't been bothered since her majesty's coronation, bar the dusting.

That said, when we become a republic, along whichever model, the portraits of past royalty would continue to hang in the reading room.

I don't believe it's treasonous to the point of being stoned to death in the square to plainly point out that a lot of gentlemen here think an Australian Republic'd do a lot for the spirit of the place and bugger the piss-weak too-much-money argument.

Frankly though, I really don't see what it has to do with Mr Rudd.

Nor even you, Mr Flint.

Simon Bedak
"Lorraine"
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

It has not been Mr. Rudd who has put their foot in it. Mr. Flint is suggesting in theory what the Coalition is now doing in practice. The Coalition has moved into the NT without any consultation, the same happened with the Mersey Hospital in Tasmania. It is hardly surprising that in Tasmania they have received a less than friendly reception. it amounts to poor practice within a Commonwealth.

If anything the situation is worse now at the Mersey Hospital. The AMA has been very critical of the Coalition in regard to this issue.
There appears to be a process of transference going on; in other words, look very closely at the Coalition in relation what they blame Labor for, as it is likely the Coalition is doing exactly that.
Interest rates and poor management are two examples.

Read all about how the collective Federal and State Parliaments can amend the Australian Constitution without a referendum at:

http://www.statusquo.org/aru_html/html/const_safe.html

Sovereignty of the people does not exist in Australia!

Foolish person! wishful thinking is rarely rewarded!
Lies such as these are part of the reason Rudd is about to become Prime Minister.
Answer me this, why are the workchoice adds so filled with lies, targeting the ALP in such a way it highlights a weakness in conservative thinking twice.
Lies is one and the fact work choices concerns more people than it comforts.

The referendum question was set by the Constitutional Convention. The republicans thought that was the one which had the most chance of winning. It lost.

No comment to make. Saw the headline, noticed the author, didn't bother reading the script.

Though one could agree with most of the above comments, might say that I have no complaints about our Queen Liz, who has pretty well followed the doctrine of the English philosopher John Locke, who secretly organised the 1688 Glorious Revolution introducing a People's Democracy - or so he thought

It was under pressure that the ersatz William and Mary were invited in from Holland, Holland, but with protets from the knocked out royalty section, the Royal Prerogative was installed - said to be only symbolic in answer to protests from the ordinary majority.

Thus the democratic code was first broken hundreds of years later by George Three who rather than letting the American settlers have the same self-government that Australia gained later, used the so-called symbolic prerogative to order out the troops, an invasion that the Homeland Brits finished up losing.

The sad fact is that the winners, the now unipolar Pax Americana, still foolishly de-democratised their own Republican Constitution by allowing a similar prerogative for the US President as was allowed for George Three of Britain.

So we have the US George W' still allowed to swing the war club, with the majority of American voters wanting him to be given the order of the boot, rather than still be allowed to keep on buggering up American law, as well as US democracy.

Ain't it grand? Net foreign debt (adds 2% to interest rates)spiralling out of control, our manufacturing collapsed to bottom of the ladder, our independent community retailers being slaughtered without a wimper, 30% of men under 44 can't afford to form a family, national welfare budgets blowing out with our reduced capacity to fund them; these currents have apparently irresistible momentum, and destroy our "real" sovereignty, ie the extent to which we can determine our future. Meanwhile, our lemmings ignore the destruction of our sinews of survival for the distractions of mere appearances. Will the world accord our trade greater consideration because of a cosmetic "makeover"? Under a republic, will the the newly-inspired Republicans lead a national effort to pull up our socks by reconstructing industry? Slow the growth of debt? Not bloody likely! Our hard-headed asian neighbours must despair of our juvenile behavior. Not to worry, it'll be the less-privileged, you know, working class, who suffer our banana economy.