Hi Tom,

There must be some age which only about 365 Australians reach each year: 95 was my best guess. You say training costs would be prohibitive, but what training? All they would have to do is sit in a wheelchair and read. And it could hardly cost more than the current nonsense -- particularly if State governors were selected by the same method.

But I have an alternative suggestion: Skippy for President! She's photogenic and her speeches are mercifully short (perhaps we could recruit one of the actors who played Sonny on the show to translate for her: "What's that, Skip? You'd like to thank everyone for being here?"). An intelligent kangaroo could easily be taught to cut ribbons and hold up cheques. For harder jobs like foundation stone laying she could have a stuffed mechanical double that was wheeled into place by a couple of minders (hey, it worked for Brezhnev!). Best of all, when she got old and feeble she could quietly be put out to grass and a new Skippy substituted without anyone being the wiser.

It would save taxes. It would save a talented human being from a life of useless drudgery. And we would be the first country to have a President who was on our coat of arms!

If Australia is to keep the Westminster system, and it is difficult to believe any Australian Federal politician would allow any other model to be considered, then it is critical that the President (as a surrogate Governor General) not be a politician. Mr Whitington is quite correct, a popularly elected President will certainly result in a politician being elected and that would almost certainly lead to a constitution crisis. However he incorrect in saying India has only elected politicians as a President. Among the 12 elected so far there has been a trade union leader, a poet, a philosopher and an aeronautical engineer. The current President has been a politician but is famous for being the leading woman's rights activist in India. Australia should seriously consider the Indian model for electing a President. Every five years the country holds a Presidential Convention where all the elected politicians at the state and federal level gather to select a President by majority vote.

Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system. It is derived from the Greek δημοκρατία ([dimokratia] (help·info)), "popular government"[1] which was coined from δήμος (dēmos), "people" and κράτος (kratos), "rule, strength" in the middle ..
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The author says "Australia has a history of leading the way in being the most democratic, free, and equal society in the world"

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with that.

He then tries to argue that the referendum we had a few years ago did not resolve the issue of a republic. Hey where was he? The vote was taken and was overwhelmingly defeated, in all states. And on the model selected by the republicans themselves.

Now he says we should directly elect a president from a list of 10 persons randomly drawn by a computer. The mind boogles. He is proposing a bloody lotto draw for the president of an Australian republic.

The footy season is over but looks like there are still dropkicks around. He is an obvoious nut case.

He is an advisor to the NSW Government, so it is little wonder we are in such a mess.