Apparently it’s 10 years since the referendum on whether Australia should become a Republic. I unashamedly voted in favour of it, but thanks to the Prime Minister of the time and his control of the situation, it didn’t eventuate. I was angry at the time, and reading about the man’s pride at his “achievement” makes me even angrier.
The question that was put to us in the referendum asked whether we wanted “to alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and the Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament”, a question carefully worded by Mr Howard to capitalise on difference in opinion on what form a Republic should take. Well played on his part, but it screwed us over. If we had been asked something more straight forward, like whether we simply wanted to be a republic, or whether we still wanted the Queen of England to be our Head of State, well, I think the outcome would have been different.
Interestingly, and I remember this well, it was traditionally safe conservative electorates that came out in favour of the republic, and thanks to a scare campaign about how the proposed model would empower politicians and the “elite” most Labour electorates voted against it.
Man I was angry. This on top of all the bullshit that had been going on in Australian politics in the 2 years since the Liberal party was elected.
I’m amazed at this quote from John Howard in his recent speech:
“It was a citizens’ rejection of an elitist proposition which was endeavoured to be foisted on the Australian people,”
The republic is elitist? Monarchy isn’t elitist? OMG Mr Howard, what planet are you from? Seriously. The fact that no Australian can ever be our head of state, that only someone who by accident of birth into an inbred line of English aristocrats has clearly escaped your notice. Really. Would Australians vote for Charles, or William or Harry? Sure, a number of fools would, but in reality we have no choice. One of them will be “our” king, possibly all of them at some point. Hooray.
Let us once and for all move into the present. Monarchy is stupid and irrelevant in 2009, just as it was in 1999.
Bring on the Republic. Bring on another referendum. I’ll be campaigning.
Visit the Australian Republican Movement – and sign up!
November 8, 2009 at 4:06 pm
mmmh… coming from a monarchy, where lots of the population also wants a republic, it has always been beyond my understanding WHY to support a Monarchy from a different country as our own? I also hope there is a referendum soon in both my countries!