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Dear Josephus,

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You requested :

« Banjo, pleqse give us some names of current potential Presidents that can administer a Constitutional and uphold Western culture that are not politicians or popular celebridies. »
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I don’t know why you don’t want names of politicians. Could it be that you already have some in mind or is it because you consider that they are a pestiferous category of human beings ?

Never mind. I do not have anybody in particular in mind for president or a list of potential candidates. A lot of water will have to run under the bridge before the question arises as to who should be president.

I think the Barbadians (or Bajans) made a wise decision in naming their governor-general, Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, as the first president of their new republic. They had enough on their hands setting up the new system. Better to avoid time and energy bickering about who is going to be president.

That way they gain time to organize the future presidential election process in a calm and orderly fashion. It also allows potential candidates to be identified (your question) and make themselves known to the general public.

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Some people want a republic, some don't. So far more don't than do; we had a referendum proving that. Until there is another referendum, that's the way it is. Get over it.

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Dear Is Mise, individual, Bazz ttbn, and (perhaps) others,

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You ask :

« What is the advantage (if any) of a republic ? »
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The Australian constitution is a combination of the Westminster system and the United States system of government. Some consider it to be “a semi-parliamentary system”. Others call it the “Washminster system” :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_system#'Washminster'_system_of_Australia
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A republic is a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch (OED definition).

The core characteristic of a republic is that sovereignty resides with the people and the people alone. The word republic comes from the Latin “res publica”, which means "public thing".

At present we have a constitutional monarchy with the British Crown as our head of state and a grossly outdated federal constitution that was enacted by the UK parliament without consulting the Australian citizens that has since proven impossible to amend.

The advantage of establishing a republic would be to allow us to assume our sovereignty alone as an independent nation, elect our own head of state, and establish a constitution that corresponds to Australian democracy in the 21st century.

If that’s what we want, that’s what we have to do. If we don’t care, that’s too bad for those of us who do.

We Australians have a reputation of being fairly complacent, easy-going people. Unlike the Americans, we have never revolted against our British colonial masters. We have never sought our independence as the Americans did during the insurrection of 1775–83 (the US War of Independence).

Happily, we don’t need to start a revolution to put our house in order.

Allow me, simply, to add that the characteristic of a catastrophe is that the probability of it occurring is extremely low, but if and when it does occur, its severity is extremely high.

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Banjo,
I’m thinking of material benefits, like a lowering of the cost of living; things that are really important.
Health, safety, rule of law; one wonders why the majority of our immigrants come from Republics.

I still ask, if having the Union Jack in the canton of our flag makes people think that we are still a British colony, then what do they think of the 50th State of the USA, Hawaii?

Hi Issy,

"I’m thinking of material benefits", that is typical conservative thinking, living in an economy, only where material benefits are paramount, outweighing any abstract social benefits a society might whish for itself. Like those abstact benefits of being a truly self governing nation.

Paul,
What counts is material benefits that’s why people try to get to live in Australia.
That’s why the boat people took such risks and why people come here and work for pittance wages so as to get the chance of permanent residency.
Or is it because of the Monarchy having abstract benefits?