Dear OTB,

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda...

I am not privy to what the PM does or doesn't do -
and why. You can always contact him by email
and ask him. I'm sure his office (at least)
will reply appropriately to you.

In the meantime - let us try to keep this discussion
on track - and leave personal insults and politics out of it.
There's a good chap.

You might not like it but there has to be some accountability for the unintended negative consequences of the idealism of the Rudd government and the Gillard/Greens/Independents alliance.

Next, it is a fact that in six years of Labor administration, 'republic' was never mentioned. They did not choose it as a policy to run in the election and nor did they put it up for a referendum although other referendums were proposed, but strangely Rudd dismissed the proposal despite Gillard's assurance they were 'necessary'.

You and the 'Progressives' who have suddenly found the need to push for a republic really have some explaining to do as to why it is now 'on', whereas it wasn't before.

But before you do that you need to explain why anyone would want to listen anyhow where the self-styled 'Progressives' have been responsible for so many policy stuff-ups over the past six years.

OTB is not looking for open minded debate, not here or in any thread.
Only support for his/her thoughts.
I find that uninteresting.
Lexi it was the greed of politicians, reserving the right to say who would be our first President, that killed the first vote.
Linking the debate to the ALP is showing us that some have no true idea about the subject.

Dear OTB and Belly,

Australians' interests are far more complex than
those who insist on seeing all discussions through
a fixed ideological viewfinder.

We have voters of all persuasions, city and country
folk, very young and very old, straight, gay and
everything else. We should not decide that all
concerns, issues, policies and pre-occupations
of this country has to be divided into a Left/Right
dogfight.

I know as many Liberal voters who are pro a Republic
and could not do without the ABC, and have a problem
with mandatory detention as I know Labor voters who
are against a Republic, who resent cash subsidies for the
car industry and were supportive of the NT intervention.

The following link may be of some interest. It lists
the pro and con arguments of this debate and indicates
that most people seem to be divided on this issue.

BTW - Malcolm Turnbull joined Wayne Swan in launching
the book of essays (way back in June of this year) -
"Project Republic: Plan and Arguments for a new Australia."
Indicating as I stated earlier - that Australians' interests
are far more complex than assigning them into political
categories.

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-australia-become-a-republic

Dear Belly,

We shall wonder
what all the fuss was about in years to come.

Your are back on that IA site again.

It's been a long time between drinks for the republic mob, whatever Turnbull and others mean by 'republic' of course.

Isn't the Turnbull broadband doing so well that he needs exposure elsewhere?

There are other priorities and money is supposed to be tight. The people have already spoken:

- NO, the republic mob; and

- Dammit, STOP the boats, MANAGE the economy and STOP ramping up our taxes to waste on more 'initiatives'.

The economy and taxes are low priorities for Labor voters and no priority for the Greens, who imagine a large, inexhaustible bucket of money somewhere to spend, spend, spend. As for borders, well just open the gates say the Greens.

Yes true Lexi
Good to see the advertisements are paying, in part for the site.
But today maybe OTB is running them.
Its my lucky day!
Seems I am the millionth visitor to this site.
From Brisbane!
Fact is it reports my every visit as so, NSW would be a bigger place if Brisbane was included.