Should Australia become a Republic

[raggage]

As above.

I think its about time to sever ties.

[KEmperor]

As above.

I think its about time to sever ties.

Are you Australian?

[raggage]

As above.

I think its about time to sever ties.

Are you Australian?

No. My wife is a Kiwi, who grew up partially in Australia, and I had a stint as a Superintendant and Area Commander there a few years back so Australian Politics interests me somewhat.

[English]

Surely that's for the Australian people to decide in a referendum?

[KEmperor]

Surely that's for the Australian people to decide in a referendum?

I completely agree.  I consider this to be none of my business; a strictly Australian issue.

[nemesis2004]

Yes, they had a referendum in 1998(or was it 99?) but the choice they were offered was of a Republic where the President would be directly elected by Parliament(as in several European countries) and such referendum needed to pass the majority of States, which unsurprisingly it did not; many Republicans felt it was not an adequate offer from a Government which was Liberal(Howard) and not as committed to it as Labor(Keating 91-96) who had mooted it first....This issue WILL be back.....

[Gustaf]

As others have pointed out, it's an Australian issue, but I am a monarchist myself and I am a huge anglo-phile. So I think it's good to preserve the ties between the UK and the rest of the English-speaking world.

[ijohn57s]

Yes, it is an Australian issue. But, if I were an Australian (which, obviously, I'm not) I would support becoming a republic. I wouldn't want to have another country's head of state to have such a significant say over my country's affairs. I would not, however, support the initiative that would make the Prime Minister be elected by the Parliament.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

But Australia need not become a Republic in order to have an independent Head of State.  For instance you choose to retroactively make George V's third son Henry, Duke of Glochester be King of Australia since the first Dominion Day back in 1901.  That would make the current Duke of Glouchester Richard be King Richard I, the 3rd King of Australia.  If you wanted to get silly, you could make the heir to the Australia throne Prince of New Zealand (or of Tasmania if the Kiwi's should decline the honor.)  Then your magazines could gush about Prince Alexander and his wife Princess Claire and how soon the couple Royal will get down to the serious business of making an heir and a spare.  There are also plenty of other out of work royal familys you could elevate to the throne should you decide to make a complete  break with Britain and yet retain the traditions of a monarchy.

[Platypus]

I strongly favour a parliamentary republic, but I also think that the cutrrent system is good-a ceremonial HoS is the best system.

Basically, my order of preference is:

1. Parliamentary Republic
2. Constitutional monarchy
3. Executive and Powerful Presidential Republic

Thus US system isn't bad, but its not as good.

[Platypus]

I suppose I should add that the monarchists were a clever little bunch in that referendum. At the time, about 2/3 of aussies supported a republic. 1/3 supported a parliamentary republic, 1/3 a US-style republic, and 1/3 preffered to stay with the monarchy. The 1/3 of the vote for US-style republicans was split, because the proposal was for a parliamentary republic, and so the referendum failed, and we're staying a monarchy for a while. Victoria, my state, was the closest to voting yes; 49.91% IIRC; but in the end all the states and territories rejected it.

[cwelsch]

Heh, Australians voted against a republican constitution because it wasn't republican enough.

[Platypus]

Well, basically. I know, those who wanted a US style republic are stupid because now they won't get another chane for ages

They're also stupid for not wanting a parliamentary republic

[raggage]

Well, basically. I know, those who wanted a US style republic are stupid because now they won't get another chane for ages

They're also stupid for not wanting a parliamentary republic

Well, the missus says at least Australia has got as far as a referendum,... not many of the other former colonies have done that.

[minionofmidas]

New Zealand is doing a rather good job at running its Pacific dependencies of Niue, Tokelau and the Cook Islands, and could certainly handle the job of administrating Australia from the outside as well. As over half the native Tokelauers etc live in NZ by now, and we can assume the same to happen with Aussies, this will also end NZ's chronic underpopulation. So, the last option for me. (removes tongue from cheek)

[Platypus]

I presume the tongue would be for the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of kiwis kliving here, breeding like possums (), smelling,  eating wird oods, screwing around with vowel sounds, and bludging off the dole?

Send 'em all home!

[raggage]

I presume the tongue would be for the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of kiwis kliving here, breeding like possums (), smelling,  eating wird oods, screwing around with vowel sounds, and bludging off the dole?

Send 'em all home!

The wife now says I have to ask you who holds the Bledisloe Cup!

(Never understood rugby...... nothing beats Football!)

[Platypus]

Remind her who holds the cricket world cup, has held the olympics twice, won the most medals per capita in sydney 2000 then any nation except the Bahamas, got a hell of a lot closer to winning the rugby world cup, actually managed to host it because it has some money, is higher on the UNHDR list, has more people, better weather, and regularly annihilates New Zeland in 99.9% of sports.

coincidentally, that country is Australia

[cwelsch]

Wait, Australians competed successfully in Australia?!?  Stop the presses!!

[cwelsch]

1 World  $ 51,410,000,000,000  2003 est.  
2 United States  $ 10,980,000,000,000  2003 est.  

17 Australia  $ 570,300,000,000  2003 est.  

58 New Zealand  $ 85,260,000,000  2003 est.  

As long as we're bragging about people who happen to share our national origins.

[raggage]

Remind her who holds the cricket world cup, has held the olympics twice, won the most medals per capita in sydney 2000 then any nation except the Bahamas, got a hell of a lot closer to winning the rugby world cup, actually managed to host it because it has some money, is higher on the UNHDR list, has more people, better weather, and regularly annihilates New Zeland in 99.9% of sports.

coincidentally, that country is Australia

She wishes to retort this with the following

1) Who are the underarm bowlers?
2) Who are the netball champions?
3) Who calls 110F temperatures better weather (examples include Darwin and Mt. Isa)
4) At least Kiwi's aren't stuck with John Howard.. and a poor human rights record.

[Kodratos]

No, what's the point? Australia is the greatest nation on the face of this earth, why mess with that. I love her just the way she is.

[Trilobyte]

I fully support the monarchy here in Canada. I guess if Australia wants to become a republic then it should, but I see no need for it.

[Platypus]

Remind her who holds the cricket world cup, has held the olympics twice, won the most medals per capita in sydney 2000 then any nation except the Bahamas, got a hell of a lot closer to winning the rugby world cup, actually managed to host it because it has some money, is higher on the UNHDR list, has more people, better weather, and regularly annihilates New Zeland in 99.9% of sports.

coincidentally, that country is Australia

She wishes to retort this with the following

1) Who are the underarm bowlers?
2) Who are the netball champions?
3) Who calls 110F temperatures better weather (examples include Darwin and Mt. Isa)
4) At least Kiwi's aren't stuck with John Howard.. and a poor human rights record.

1) They weren't real Aussies, they were from SA.
2) Who have been the netball champions for the majority of the last 20 years?
3) What the  is 110F? And I'd prefer to live in Darwin or mount Isa then Invercargill. At least there is some for of economy, and you dont freeze your arse off
4) At least we aren't stuck with Mrs. Man And since independence from the UK, we've had basically no major human rights abuses. It's all the UKs fault. Per capita, we're better then you, i'd venture

and to cwelsh-do those figures in per capita terms an we can talk

coicidentally, we are predicted to win at least 50 medals in athens. That would easily put us in the top 5 per capita, and probably in the top 3. Definently above the USA.

raggage, sing this to your wife in a kiwi accent:

"Oh guv me
Fufty-sux buts uf fush end chups,
I huvvent said thut sunce
ninteen fufty-sux,

Thut's a but ruch
if you kuss me un the lups,
U'll hut you wuth my fust
if you guv me the shuts

Ahhhhhmiiiiin (Amen)"

-Sacred Weird Little Guys. Beat that, "Topp Twins"

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Er... Hugh... the disgraceful treatment of Aboriginals continued (and in some states *cough*WA*cough*) got worse after independence.
And then there's that whole boat people thing.