Source: http://ift.tt/zP5LE8 --- Tuesday, February 23, 2016
5 questions about the push for an Australian head of state. What's wrong with the Queen? Nothing. Queen Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch to have visited Australia, and many Australians hold her in high regard for her service to the nation. Some republicans, like former-Prime Minister Julia Gillard, even support the idea that Australia should become a republic once the Queen leaves the throne . But the issue isn't about the Queen, nor the prospect of Charles and Camilla. It's about the highest office in Australia being occupied by an Australian rather than an unelected figure on the other side of the world. Didn't you already have a referendum on this? Yes, in 1999. Support for a republic was high then, but disagreement over how the head of state would be selected saw the movement splinter. Faced with the prospect of a President who would be selected by parliament rather than public vote, Australia voted against what many described as an undemocratic model. But like the British referendum on EC membership in 1975, a single vote rarely puts to rest such a contentious issue. What was right for Australia (and Britain) then is not necessarily right now. Support is once again climbing, with the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and almost every state and territory leader supporting the notion of a republic . But consensus on a republican model will be needed before change can happen. Isn't Australia loyal to the UK? The republ ...
from Australia http://ift.tt/1oyZZ6o
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