Dear Colleagues, I apologise for writing on a non-boundary subject but I
thought some might have an interest in Australia's decision not to become a
republic. Referendums in Australia are rarely successful. Proposals have to
secure a majority of voters in Australia as a whole and a majority in a
majority os the six states. The vote yesterday saw 55 per cent of
Australians vote against the proposition to become a republic and only in
one state was there a majority in favour of the change. This result should
not be interpreted as an attachment to the British monarchy. The change was
rejected because the republican model contained provision for the
parliament to select the president. In effect the proposal was simply to
change the position of governor-general to that of president with no
change in the reserve powers which caused the constitutional crisis in
1975 when the GG dismissed Whitlam the Prime Minister. In the last three
years opinion polls have shown that 70 per cent of Australians want to take
part in the election of a figurehead president.. The model offered
yesterday left the selection of the president in the hands of the Prime
Minister and the leader of the opposition. So many of the direct-election
enthusiasts voted no yesterday. If Australians were simply asked should we
become a republic probably 75 per cent would answer yes. Sincerely, Victor
Prescott
JRV and DF Prescott
East Brighton
Victoria 3187
AUSTRALIA
Phone 61 3 9592 5156
Fax 61 3 9593 1624
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