This isnt about democracy. It is only when we begin to educate ourselves and accept these overarching topics that we will become a truly tolerant, Prior to the 1900s there was no country known as Australia which held the six states together united as one country. The main proposal is to end the reign of the monarch of Australia (the Queen of England, Elizabeth the II) and her appointed Governor-General in Australia, replacing both with an elected president.This debate came to a head in 1999, when Australians were given a referendum on the question, in addition to other related constitutional amendments. 1. Become a Member. It should be recognised in our Constitution".. Australia has the 12th highest cost of living in the world, with the US and the UK well behind it at 21st and 23rd, respectively. There are also many people who do not know what the benefits of a republic would be. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle in November. Were Australia to embrace republicanism we would gain nothing but lose much. The fact that we share the body of the Queen with 15 other realms does not mean that our Crown is not independent. Further, public confidence in our parliaments is at a low point. This means that the queen is not representing the interests of Australians, further the undemocratic nature of the monarchy in Australia. There is no right or wrong answer, and there are pros and cons to the argument for Australia becoming a republic. Some say that the Monarchy only has symbolic meaning, as a way to disclaim the significance of the monarchy and thus reduce the significance of the complaints raised against it. The United States and India are republics, and the president serves as head of state in these countries. It would see Australia's parliaments nominate candidates for head of state, who would be put to a. A double majority is when a majority (more than half) of voters in Australia AND a majority of states vote 'yes' for the change. So what does this development mean? Minimal model supporters insist that the referendum failed because of constitutional ignorance and an effective scare campaign. Essay by EssaySwap Contributor, High School, 12th grade, February 2008 . The UK has no involvement with Australian government at all. Pros and cons of a monarchy vs a republic Advantages of a constitutional monarchy: Stability. Major polls suggest declining support for a republic. For this reason, she is very popular among the Australian public. It is a community-based on democracy and mutually beneficial relationships that is respected in modernity. America is democratic, but it is also a republic. Such a significant undertaking should see us imagine more than just a name change for the head of state. In 1998, a constitutional convention recommended a model which was put to the Australian people at a referendum in 1999. . Any system that relies on hereditary appointment instead of elections is, inherently, undemocratic. Australian Coat of Arms (adopted 1912) Queen of United Kingdom (as well as Canada, Austra. The government is responsible for protecting the citizens rights and upholding the lands laws. Only an exceptional candidate would gain the confidence of both an elected parliament and the people. It went from the moderate climate of northern Italy too much warmer climates in northern Africa. Republicans will either unite and probably win or divide and certainly fail. Initially there was absolutely no interest what so ever of a federation uniting Australia as one because each colony was interested in being responsible for their own economic interest and couldnt come to an agreement. This history should not be respected as much as condemned. List of the Pros of Living in Australia 1. The Queen, as Sovereign, is the people. Having the U.K. Monarch as Head of State has not ensured stability in: Northern Ireland, racked by internal fighting over the issues of religion, politics, and independence. Indeed, the differences between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher (when she was Prime Minister) over British foreign policy became publicy known through the media.(36). Should AUstralia Become A Republic. It will be no less the case if Australia becomes a republic. It ensures that the rights and protection of citizens are called for. Should Australia Become a Republic In 1999, Australia voted in a referendum that would have made our country a republic. The other factor is that weve been very active in things like social media, we are getting far more professional, Mr FitzSimons said. Interestingly, support for change is weakest among younger age groups, who would have no memory of the earlier campaign. Grenada, which has also had two recent coups (in March 1979 and 1983), then invaded by the U.S.(32). The recent legalization of same-sex marriage within America caused what should have been a ripple effect. Now, there are far fewer risks. + Why should Australia become a republic? But this need not be equated with leaving the commonwealth. Some of the pros of Australia becoming a republic are: An efficient government is more likely to be able to get things done, as opposed to being bogged down in bureaucracy. Her role is primarily symbolic, representing the commonwealth and its strong history of democracy, law, and faith. Hasnt her historic leadership earned greater respect than that? Therefore, this action should be taken. They have chosen to remain within the commonwealth on their own accord. Pros Australia needs a unique national identity that is not defined by Britain. The rule of law dictates that government should not abuse their powers as per AV Dicey's concept of the rule of law. Becoming a republic would require significant rewriting of the Constitution, which would then need to be ratified by a majority of voters in a majority of states. The land of wealth and good health. What Benefits Will Australia Get From Being A Republic? Although the Sovereign (the Queen) appoints (and can dismiss) the Governor-General, it is always done on the advice of our prime minister. Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account. A new poll has found support for the idea of Australia becoming a republic has slipped.Credit:Getty Images. Country is dynamic and multilayered, forming culture, values and beliefs of existence between human and species. Some republicans were so opposed to the option on offer they campaigned with the official no team. This line of thought lead to people questioning if it was still acceptable to give everything they had for Britain. Read, enjoy and share. So, yes it did surprise me it was that low, but equally I think theres a lot of supporting factors that explain why its getting worse, Ms Elgood said. The commonwealth has its place, even in modernity. The government does not have enough resources to operate its services and provide goods for its citizens. The proposal for a president chosen by the federal parliament was opposed by many republicans, who insisted only a directly elected head of state was acceptable. 2 J Waugh, 'Australia's State Constitutions, Reform and the Republic' (1996) 3 Agenda 59 at 68. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pros and cons of QB Derek Carr's potential fit with the Panthers and Frank Reich. There is no right or wrong answer, and there are pros and cons to the argument for Australia becoming a republic. When the queen travels abroad, she focuses almost all of her energies on representing Britains interests. Given the fact that Australia would not exist without the initial decision of the crown to colonize Australia, it seems entirely appropriate that a token of allegiance remain to the Crown within the commonwealth system. The term republic comes from the Latin res publica, which translates to public affair or public business.. The governor-general, conversely, is appointed by the monarch and so is able to stand above an election process that would divide his or her constituents. In Italy, the central part of the empire, stood the city of Rome. It would see Australias parliaments nominate candidates for head of state, who would be put to a popular vote of all Australian voters. The purpose of this page is to help Australians get a better understanding of the legal role of the Queen in her capacity as the Queen of Australia. Republicans want either an elected or appointed person as president. Republicans want Australia to be completely independent of the UK but this has definitively been the case since 1986. Fiji, which has had two recent military coups (in May 1987 and September 1987). There are plenty of reasons not to care, but there are plenty of reasons to care and that's why Australia should not become a republic. If Australia were to become a republic, this process of elections and conferring power to political authority would extend to the highest office in the land, which would have to be the presidency. The second should ask which of a list of methods of selecting a president voters . Nonetheless, others have stated that Catholic-Protestant tensions at least in the sense of an Irish-British conflict are at least forty years dead,[15] or simply not there any more, having been replaced with a general conflict between secular and religious Australians. The title, role and legal aspects of the Queen of Australia are not well understood by most Australians including those who advocate a republic and by most of those employed within the media industry. Monarchies, and their hereditary processes, can bring a child, mentally disabled, or plainly despotic person to power. The president does not possess any inherent power and may be removed from office if he or she loses the support of parliament or fails to uphold duties as stipulated in law, such as defending Australia from foreign attack. It is wrong to presume that a republic is a more advanced and modern system, and that Australia will inevitably make the move to a republican form of government. Theres no sense of momentum around the move to Australia becoming a republic at the moment, Ms Elgood said. During the next 20 years Australian citizens grew to consider themselves separate from Mother Country making Australia a nation in its own right. Such symbolism has a powerfully negative effect on Australians sense of independence and identity. As Australian Republican Movement member, Frank Cassidy put it in a speech on the issue: In short, we want a resident for President. It seems as though Australians are fearful, but what of? it stands to reason that if we are to remove what we have, we must replace it with a better system which is more effective in keeping politicians from abusing their position. The Queen has had a particularly beneficial role in Australian society since taking power in 1947. Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, wrote in August, 2007, the Union Flag to remind us that we have inherited precious traditions of parliamentary democracy, faith, law and language.[3] Australians should respect this heritage, and its flag and the monarch are an important part of doing so. Having chosen to establish a constitutional monarchy in 1901, Australians cannot now complain. Ending the monarchy and establishing a republic would constitute a substantial stride in the direction of creating a greater sense of independence and national pride and identity. If youre interested in traveling there or immigrating, keep reading to look at both sides of the debate. Should gender equality be written into the constitution? Turning Australia into a republic from a monarchy will certainly make it more democratic, and thus better. Republicanism is the worse form of government possible! The Australia of pre World War II was now very different to the Australia colonised by the British so many years earlier. INTRODUCTION The purpo se of this paper is to canvass the main legal and constitutional implications fo r NSW should Au stralia adopt a form of republican government. A republic is a democratic nation in which the highest public office is held not by a monarch, who inherits the position by birth, but instead by a citizen chosen on merit. 0 Like 0 Tweet. This is about Republican elitist politicians wanting to increase their power by eliminating checks on them from the monarchy. Some of the pros of Australia becoming a republic are: An Efficient Form of Government. Without a king or queen, there is less government hierarchy, making it easier for individuals to participate in politics. CQUniversity Australia provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. While there are many proposals that reflect these differences, it is important to understand that all of them are debating the main pro/con principles of a republic vs. the constitutional monarchy. He proposed that the federal parliament select at least three suitable nominees who are then put to a popular vote. The main drawback to the Republican government is that it consumes enormous budgets. Get on with fixing the economy, energy prices, law and order and security and immigration. There is no better model of government for keeping ultimate power away from the unscrupulous than a resilient constitutional monarchy. The United States is controlled by laws that people are expected to abide by. Australia is a monarchy because it was colonised by the British in 1788. Wiki User. Forget Charles an Australian republic hinges on the model we adopt, not the monarch. Mr FitzSimons said the Australian Republican Movements membership had increased by 19 per cent in the past six months. Critics argue it could actually reduce the pool of candidates. Under the minimal model from the 1999 referendum, the head of state would have been appointed by a two-thirds majority of parliament. The method for choosing the head of state is the most important element in any republican model but there are other considerations. They simply give different consideration to the different arguments, causing them to fall differently within the spectrum. The media response to this has been at best lukewarm. Colchester, Essex, Introduction to statistical analysis and data science with R short course Australia needs a unique national identity that is not defined by Britain. The government also spends time on matters irrelevant to the peoples needs, such as making laws and policies about what people should do in their personal lives. Explaining my model to a friend recently, he exclaimed, why let politicians anywhere near it?. When something is wrong, it matters not that it works; it must be changed. Its shared with other countries, but so is our language and no one (so far) wants to change that.. Under direct election models especially, this may be an important safeguard. Ah Australia. Australians have chosen to remain within the commonwealth. Pros and Cons: The language has a simple syntax and can work on multiple platforms, making it far easier to learn and execute. It was only in 1973 with the passage of the Royal Style and Titles Act that the queen was given a unique Australian title, the Queen of Australia. Its challenging to pass a new law, as it requires a majority vote in the House of Representatives and Senate. Their hands have not been forced on the issue. The latest Ipsos poll found support for Australia becoming a republic was lowest among those in the 18-24 year old group, with only 26 per cent in favour compared to 34 per cent in all other age groups. When coins bearing Charless face come into circulation, we can expect many will question the benefit of a foreign head of state living on the other side of the world. La Trobe University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. The governor-general, part of the monarchy, is the head of state and a native Australian? As it is well known, the Federal budget is an essential document that can be used as a tool to gain political support. 2011-09-09 00:30:32. A republic has an elected head of state who acts as both head of state and head of government. Critics have claimed this is asking for a policy blank cheque. It is difficult for a judge to be removed from office without good cause, which means that they may not always make decisions based on whats right or wrong but rather what will make them look better in front of the public. Sign uphere. Prior to Australia's implementation of compulsory voting in 1924, the voter rate had sunk to around 47% of registered voters . The monarchy is a direct reflection of Australias past as a British colony and continues to symbolize Australias subservience to the British crown. The only question regards whether people think it is a problem that Australias process for selecting its head of state is undemocratic. But, what about the governor-general? A portion of this can be credited to its location in an area with good geography and climate. The Roman empire was one of the most powerful or the most powerful empire in ancient times. The reason why Australians should not become a Republic is because they are divided on the issue. This ignores the concepts of true national sovereignty and independence, and of development of the national culture and psyche.