Quote:
Originally Posted by Lothar5150
Just curious...I know Australia has a Republican movement. What is the common person on the streets view on replacing the head of state with a president?
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Australia should have been a republic about 4 years ago. John Howard, the Prime Minister that we are "blessed" with, organised a referendum on the matter. Howard is a staunch monarchist though, unlike the previous Prime Minister who set up the path towards the referendum. Sadly he got voted out before he could complete the monumental task of preparing for it, and Howard took steps to derail any change.
Rather than ask two questions, such as:
1) Do you want Australia to become a republic?
2) If Australia becomes a republic, do you want a popularly elected president (US style), or a parliamentary appointed president (much like what the Governer-General position already is today - but just removing the Queen as the next step up)?
Instead Howard worded the question as:
1) Do you want the present monarchy system, a popularly elected president, or a parliamentary appointed president?
Now for a referendum to be made law, 51% of the people, plus 4 out of the 6 states of Australia need to vote in the positive sense for any one option to enact the requires constitutional change.
About 60% of Australia want a Republic, but they were split over the appointed/elected president model. As such, there was not enough support to push either option over the 51%, 4/6 state mark. The monarchy portion got 40%, and the two presidential options got around 30% each.
Howard then had the cheek of declaring this as overwhelming support for keeping the status quo with the Monarchy.
It was all a total farce.
Personally I fall into the parliamentary appointed presidential model myself. Have to remember that a president here would not have the same level of powers as a US president, basically having only the power to dissolve the parliament if he deems them unfit to govern. A popularly elected presidential model would be a waste of resources and voter's time given that they are already electing the parliamentary persons into power who would then choose the president.