Best Wishes, Australia

[leo]

Australia will be voting on whether or not to become a republic. Whatever the outcome of the vote I hope the US and Australia will remain the very best of friends. To our very good friends down under-Best wishes for a happy and prosperous future!

To Australia,
Best Wishes for your decision and your future. You'll always have very good friends in the American people (I for one). Along with Leo I wish you 'Bon Chance'!
VBR,
Jim

[Vin]

Leo and Jim,

Thankyou. This time both the Voices and my Archbishop are giving me the same advice. Latest polls I have read indicate that 41 % will vote yes (for change) and 47 % will vote
no (status quo) with 12 % undecided. Voting in this referendum, as with all elections in Australia, is compulsory so the 12 % undecided is what keeps it interesting. Most elections in the 90’s have gone against the expected results. The complicating factor is that the result must include a majority overall AND a majority of states. Small (in population), conservative states usually mean that most referendum questions fail - as I expect this one will.


Vin

Thanks Mate,
I think it is time for us to break the last nominal (if nebulous) link with the UK. I would love to see us have an Australian as our Head of State. Unfortunately I think the referendum will be defeated by an unholy alliance between the Monarchists (who don't want an Aussie Head of State) and the Direct Election Republicans (Who do want an Aussie but want the electorate to vote for the President). The model up for grabs is one where the Parliament elects the President by a 2/3 majority.
I suspect we will be a Constitutional Monarchy for a while yet! (sigh)

Gordon

Cheer up mate! At least you're having a ballot! How long will be before we poor Brits have a similar chance to get rid of the expensive irrelevance that we call the royals?

It's a shame some of your politicians seems to have muddied the waters by looking to fix the system for selecting your future presidents.

Cheers,

Jim

[mike_baram]

Well, it looks like the Aussies decided to stick with the monarchy. But I'm impressed that it's an obligation to vote. Contrast that with the fact that only a minority of US actually get off our collective butts to vote, the president is chosen by 38% of the voters, and yet everyone has the right to @#$% and moan about the system.
Oh well, it's all my fault anyway. I voted for Nixon in '68 and the country's been going to hell in a handbasket ever since.

[mike_baram]

Okay, Scott....
"KVETCH and moan"....let's see you censor THAT!
Mike

[Vin]

Mike

If voting was optional, the republic would have got up by a street. The vote in favour of a republic was overwhelming in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, particularly in the more affluent areas. The no vote was overwhelming in rural areas and significant in urban lower socio-economic Australia with a significant "don't know, don't care" factor. If the cockies had stayed on their tractors, Australia would be a republic ready to go today.


Vin

[leo]

One of our local radio stations carries WRN and Radio Australia. The broadcst I heard indicated that part of the vote to remain a monarchy was due to the fact that, under the proposed republic, the president would be appointed by politicians. The commentator seemed to be saying that if the proposed republic would have an elected president that the nation might have voted the republic.

[Vin]

Leo

The No vote was made up of 3 segments.
(a) genuine monarchists. Including the present Prime Minister;
(B) direct-election republicans. The model put up at the referendum was that which represents minimal change from the present system where the Governor-General is appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The proposal was that the President, having a largely formal role but with significant "Reserve Powers", would be appointed by Parliament following approval by 2/3 majority of the Parliament. Direct-electionists wanted to have universal vote for the President; and
© Those who are not bothered enough by the monarch to want change, unkindly and probably unjustly referred to as "Don't know, don't care" citizens.

The No campaign, led by a Monarchist, was a coalition of (a) & (B) and was conducted on the line that the appointment of the President by Parliament model was the wrong model. The Monarchist position was not put in the campaign.

Thus commentators conclude that if the direct-electionists and the yes voters had combined, it would have got up. Changes to the constitution at referendum historically only succeed with bipartisan promotion. The Prime minister opposed it.

More important, the level of divide in the Australian community between the so called "elites" (those living in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, particularly in the more affluent areas) and the rest of the population, particularly the rural dwellers, who feel disenfranchised and resentful, is widening all the time, and is expressed by voting against what the "elites" appear to be recommending.


Vin