Foxy: Including the last one on becoming a Republic - which many voters said no to because of its wording.

Thank you Foxy.

The BIG problem in voting for a President is that you get a

POLITICIAN !

Not just any politician but a committed campaigning politician.
You automatically generate a new political power centre away from
parliament.

A president should be appointed by some form of consensus vote by all
parliamentary members.
A qualification could be no previous political service.
That would leave it open for ex military officers, Judges, people like
some of our recent governor generals.

That's what we need not some retiring PM or treasurer or other minister looking for a nice sinecure.

Am I the only one who sees the danger in electing a President ?

Howards referendum was a doosy of how to word a referendum, stacked to the eyeballs with Howardism. It ain't good when you have the Labor party saying do not vote in favor of John Howards referendum.

Abbott's referendums would be equally untrustworthy as well. He can't lie straight in bed, let alone letting him loose with the constitution.

I don't see the need for a referendum, surely they can be recognised as the first Australian's without constitutional change.
They vote, i am not sure how that was handled.

Foxy,

It's so simple even you ought to be able to grasp it.

A Referendum is held to determine the will of the people on a particular proposal.
Whichever way the vote goes then that is the will of the people.

So a Referendum cannot fail because it always delivers the will of the people.

See?

Bazz: A president should be appointed by some form of consensus vote by all parliamentary members.

That's what happened last time, without your proviso & the people voted "No."

Bazz: "A qualification could be no previous political service."

That would leave it open for ex military officers, Judges, people like
some of our recent governor generals.

Bazz: That's what we need not some retiring PM or treasurer or other minister looking for a nice sinecure.

I agree, Bazz.

Bazz: Am I the only one who sees the danger in electing a President ?

In an Australian Republic, only, "the people," should elect a President, "with," your proviso.

No JayB, it is the popular vote by all that generates the power centre.
In a crisis, real or imaginary, the person elected can say I have the
support of the people, they elected me, so I am taking over the government.
It is a very dangerous situation as many Africans have found.

Being appointed by parliament means the President holds his position
by the gift of parliament.
This is the situation in the Westminister tradition.
The King is King by the grace of parliament, that was sorted out a long time ago.