Paul,

Turnbull was an avowed Republican and thus a perjurer and a liar. when he swore the oaths of office etc.

Dear Paul,

«Politicians can swear allegiance to AUSTRALIA, and not to some old tart in ENGLAND. How about it?»

Politicians' allegiance is already given - to the devil!

The question is whom you want in parliament - politicians or representatives?

If you rather have representatives, then they should only swear allegiance to those they represent!

Dear Is Mise,

Mate, this is torturous.

"According to the law".

You claim;

“They are not forced to swear the Oath”

Of course they are, the law is very specific;

“The Constitution provides that every Member of the House of Representatives, before taking his or her seat, must make and subscribe an oath or affirmation of allegiance before the Governor-General or some person authorised by the Governor-General.”

You seem to want law-breakers in parliament or to exclude perhaps half of those there. And this would be your version of representative democracy would it?

You have a bee in your bonnet, time to let it out as you have become a foolish sight dancing about waving your hands in frenzied panic.

Dear SteeleRedux,

«Mate, this is torturous.»

Yes it is. The legislators of yore created a torturous situation.

I disagree with this requirement to take an oath of allegiance, but I do agree with Is Mise that cutting corners is not the answer.

The law as it stands does not require any representative to make an oath, because it does not require any representative to take their seat.

Should half the representatives be absent from parliament, their seats vacant, that would make Australia a laughing-stock, with any claim of "democracy" or "the will of the people" received with a roar of laughter. The remaining legislators, unless they wish to be remembered in history as dictators, would be faced with two options: legislating against laughter, making it illegal, or repealing the requirement for an oath. I believe that here in Australia they will choose the latter.

Yuyutsu,

Thou hast hit the holding device on the cranium!!

Aspiring Members should tell the electorate that they will not take the Oath and thus not take their seat if elected.
If the voters agree that there should be no oath then they can make a protest vote and elect the candidate.
As Yuyutsu says if enough voters so protest then the Parliament would be forced to go to the people to change the Constitution.

The real reason that Republican MsP perjure themselves is that if they don't do so they don't get paid and having worked so hard for a lucrative job, honour goes out the window.

You keep harping on the phrase "...according to law", well, which law absolves perjurers from committing a crime by so false swearing?

The Parliament is, on some occasions the highest Court in the land, so is it not ridiculous to have perjurers able to sit in judgement on someone who if they commit perjury, when being judged by perjurers, can be jailed?

Issy being the evidence based man you claim to be, please provide evidence that any member of parliament was anti monarchy at the time of swearing, what ever it was they swore. Of course you don't want progressive people democratically elected to Parliament, but would much prefer stodgy old conservatives running the show, Since the voters return a majority of progressives to govern, time after time, you see this nonsense as a way to cut that off.

Enough said on this ridiculous topic.