Dear David F.,

The role of the head of state under the Westminster System
of responsible government is curiously ill-defined.
The problem is not with the ceremonial functions however
as stated earlier it is useful to have someone other
than the head of government to perform the politically
trivial duties which fall to a head of state.

But I'm sure that all that will be worked out when the time
for decision making comes.

Dear Banjo Paterson,

Thank You for adding to this discussion.

The debate on this issue I'm sure will continue for some time
yet. And as I've said in the past - I'm sure that the voters
will get it right in the end. I think that it is time every
Australian had the chance to be Australia's head of state.
As Christopher Pine once said - "We wouldn't tolerate in
Australia today one of our elected representatives being
excluded from office on the basis of their religion or family,
yet we tolerate our head of state being chosen that wat."

"I don't feel that a hereditary monarch where our head of state
is chosen simply on the basis of the luck of being born into
the British royal family, is right for Australia."

We shall have to wait and see whether the majority of Australians
agree.

Dear Foxy,

Being the head of government is a tremendous strain and responsibility. One sees pictures of heads of government as they grow noticeably older for each year in office. If the politically trivial duties of the head of government are taken over by a head of state that simply puts a greater strain on the head of government. The politically trivial duties may be a relief from the strain of government. Having a head of state puts a greater strain on the head of government by denying her or him the relief of the trivial. That's another reason for not having a head of state.

Dear David F.,

Thank You for your valid explanations.

I understand the points that you are raising.

I guess we shall have to wait and see what the
proposals will be and which ones the government
feels will have the best chance of success with
the Australian voters. I suspect though this
won't happen during this first term in office
as the government has other priorities in mind.

Before I leave this discussion.
For me it's now run its course. I'd like to
Thank everyone who has contributed to
what started out as a simple discussion but has
now grown into something broader.

The Australian writer Ben Pobjie in his book,
"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie," points out that:

" There was a time when to be Australian was to be English,
only sunburnt. There was a time when to be Australian was to
be a dangerous criminal... As national identity has changed
in our own lifetime, it changed in our great-grandparents
lifetime, and even in their great-grandparents."

"Before Gallipoli nobody knew Australians could fight in
trenches. Before Errol Flynn nobody knew Australians could be
sexy in front of cameras. Before Julia Gillard nobody knew
Australians could be women."

"Australia is a process of revelation, of unveiling to the
world the surprising facts about ourselves that nobody knew."

What great Australians will define us in the future - we
have to wait and see. I guess what I am trying to say is
we should let the celebration of the Queen's Platinum
Jubilee be not only a reflection on our past, but a
salutary lesson for our future. So that we can create the
Australia we aspire to live in.

I look forward to our next discussion.

Hi there FOXY...

Much of what you say is correct in my opinion. What will happen when our Queen passes, who knows. Would Prince CHARLES make a credible King? I don't know, initially I thought so until he married Di and then on to Camilla? I've been told Camilla is a very nice, engaging sort of lady, well liked by all those who've known her. Now Prince CHARLES. as King? Hmmm? What of Prince ANDREW (Hero flyer-Falklands) or Prince HARRY (credible war service in Afghanistan) Or Prince EDWARD (gifted media producer) three potential monarchs or not? How does one determine the fitness or otherwise to take charge of the monarchy?

Hi there CANEM MALUM;

You seem to speak with a lot of common sense on many of the topics presented on the Forum. As does TTBN. Thanks for your earlier support for my opinion(s) and feelings for our monarch; H.M. The Queen. I do appreciate it.

.

Head of state

.

1. OED definition :

The chief public representative of a country, such as a president or monarch, who may also be the head of government.
.

2. Wikipedia :

« A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state in its unity and legitimacy. Depending on the country's form of government and separation of powers, the head of state may be a ceremonial figurehead (such as the British monarch) or concurrently the head of government and more (such as the president of the United States, who is also commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces).

« In a parliamentary system, such as the United Kingdom or India, the head of state usually has mostly ceremonial powers, with a separate head of government. However, in some parliamentary systems, like South Africa, there is an executive president that is both head of state and head of government. Likewise, in some parliamentary systems the head of state is not the head of government, but still has significant powers, for example Morocco. In contrast, a semi-presidential system, such as France, has both heads of state and government as the de facto leaders of the nation (in practice they divide the leadership of the nation between themselves). Meanwhile, in presidential systems, the head of state is also the head of government. In communist states, the position of President has no tangible powers by itself, however, since such a head of state, as a matter of custom, simultaneously holds the post of General Secretary of the Communist Party, they are the executive leader.

« Former French president Charles de Gaulle, while developing the current Constitution of France (1958), said that the head of state should embody l'esprit de la nation ("the spirit of the nation") »
.

NOTE : France is a presidential system except on rare occasions when the opposition wins a majority at a legislative election and the opposition controls the parliament.
.

3. UN list of Heads of state, Heads of government & Ministers of foreign affairs :

http://www.un.org/dgacm/sites/www.un.org.dgacm/files/Documents_Protocol/hspmfmlist.pdf

.