greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 25
th, 2026 at 3:51pm:
Jasin wrote on Feb 25
th, 2026 at 3:44pm:
greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 25
th, 2026 at 2:33pm:
When considering the model for a republic, the fundamental question is – do we want an Australian who we choose to represent us as Head of State or do we want an English aristocrat born into power with no connection to Australia to lead us for life from the other side of the world?
Again.
The BRITISH political sponsorship of Australia is represented by the Governor-General. The Prime Ministers have always been the USA's lapdog and groveller.
Or do you think we should follow the now defined German, the currently failing French and/or the Roman/Athenian Italian & Greek politics - which the USA chose to do by rejecting the British.
Maybe you should read up on why Hawaii kept the Union Jack on its flag. It's very wise, in regards to the benefits of colonisation.
It's very simple.
Instead of a foreign monarch being born into the position of our Head of State, we'll have an elected Australian as our HOS.
If we become a republic, we would stay close friends and allies of the United Kingdom – that will never change.
We won’t change the Westminster system of government, the separation of powers, the rule of law, responsible government, free and fair elections, or the primacy of the will of the Australian people – these will continue as the core of our governance.
A republic will strengthen those principles by adding a Head of State elected locally who can be held to account and help hold the three branches of government to account, further strengthening democracy, responsible government and the rule of law.
I thought you didn't like the American system of directly elected prez?
Under your 'model' we would have TWO popularly elected leaders, one of them the leader of the party with the most seats in the lower house and therefore the PM of the government and one as the leader of the State, the person in whom constitutional power rest.
The bedrock of Australia's legal existence is by the declaration of the sovereign, on advice by the Privy Counil*. In short, the sovereign's proclamation is the creative power, the 'let there be Australia' power.
Having such a constitutional power vested in a popularly elected person is a recipe for poliical conflict and dispute of mandates and legitimacy.
The beauty of the hereditary monarchy is that the head of state is a symbol, a 'personification;' of the country without any electoral mandate whatsoever. None of the 'people elected me and want me to do this' stuff.
* 2. Act to extend to the Queen's successors
The provisions of this Act referring to the Queen [
Victoria] shall extend to Her Majesty's heirs and successors in the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.
3. Proclamation of Commonwealth
It shall be lawful for the Queen, with the advice of the Privy Council, to declare by proclamation that, on and after a day therein appointed, not being later than one year after the passing of this Act, the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, and also, if Her Majesty is satisfied that the people of Western Australia have agreed thereto, of Western Australia, shall be united in a Federal Commonwealth under the name of the Commonwealth of Australia. But the Queen may, at any time after the proclamation, appoint a Governor-General for the Commonwealth.
The Australian Constitution is one of the oldest and most stable in the world. Why tinker with it? Just because Gough as dismissed and an election was called which he lost spectacularly? Hardly a reason to *uck up the constitutional and political order.