When the UK joined the European Common Market, Australia and New Zealand produce was cut off.

Non EU visitors are about to be fingerpinted on entry to the UK.

Commonwealth visitors to the Uk will have visa stay limited to three months.

Former UK citizens who emigrated to a Commonwealth country are required to apply to the UK immigration, should they wish to return to stay in the UK.

Australia has spent over five billion on the futile Irag invasion!

So Kipp, your point is? You appear to want the umbilical cord re-attached.

It was Australia's choice to be cut off. The EU membership did not prevent the UK from keeping the former arrangements. It was all about Australia (and NZ) becoming 'part of the Asian region' (something we still have not - and never will - achieve).
The best thing Australia could have done would be to have applied for special status within the EU - something that might have been looked on favourably earlier but is now impossible. We lost a major opportunity there because of short-sightedness of Australian government.
We could have used it to secure major international status as the 'middle man'. Instead of that we have republicans demanding to be big fish in little ponds with a conflated idea of their importance in the scheme of things. They lost that chance years ago because of their arrogance and Australia is much the poorer for it.
"Becoming a republic" is not about enhancing democracy but about eroding it. It is what those with old fashioned ideas about socialism aspire to.
It is perhaps worth noting that two retired members of the High Court both withdrew from the summit - reportedly because they were uncomfortable with the way in which it is to be used as a vehicle for Rudd's Republic.
I wonder where Republicans would spend the money if it had to be an absolute choice between that and something like indigenous health programmes - at the moment they still seem to think they can justify something that will cost billions (and go on costing more than the current system) with no purposeful outcomes. As such it is an act of supreme selfishness.

Why are those who support a republic using the same boring tired old arguments in another boring tired old debate?

I agree with Communicat's notion of the 'crowned republic' as defintional description of our system of governance. We operate under a constitution, possess the distinct arms of government (as determined by the separation of powers) and function at an arms length from the monarchy.

I see the republican issue more as a means by which proponents can detach the British connection from our model of government. Animosity to the British is inextricably linked to the attempts to focus on the negatives of our history, and live in ignorance to the success of this nation to develop into a successful and entrepreneurial nation that fosters initiative and enterprise.

When the delegates on governance were asked about support for a future republic at this supposed 'summit on ideas', there was one lonesome dissenter among the crowd (surprise surprise). The response from the majority; laughter. If that is the type of attitude that this summit is promoting to alternative ideas and freedom of thought, then it has failed abismally.

It is a sad reflection on this exercise as a politically manipulated gathering which is doing nothing more than to reinforce the ideas of those in government. The list of delegates cetainly confirms this.

I went to our local talkfest 45 min per group stuck on one subject then 15 min for how it was to run then a 30 min chat.

There was 2 of these and the reasoning behind this.

Well labor has no vision or solid policy.

They only have outlines suckering the people.

The republic well just what the party that supports and hides peodophiles wants.

We have labor corruption everywhere.

Why because you just keep letting them do it.

I am still waiting on defamation charges to come but never will as this is the last thing labor want to do.

Drag their corrupt PM and members through and have them jailed and the labor party disbanded and deregistered.

Stuart Ulrich