It's time for an Australian republic

[Hairday]

It's hard to defend it rationally, really, but Queen Elizabeth always seemed better than some elected person, but King Charles doesn't. What do you think?

I've been coming here since essential baby got shut down. Thanks pp who has just suggested every bump!

DItto re: EssentialBaby. I tried Everybump and couldn't get into it - too used to the fast pace and diversity of people and subjects on here now. Wasn't there also some drama with the fellow who started it?

Sadly they've never replaced "our home is girt by sea" because it's inoffensive. Australia is girt by sea all right.

That is an entirely different song that was never the Australian national anthem.

You have confused "Advance Australia Fair" with "Rule Britannia!"

Yes, they banned lots of people and are extremely restrictive about what can be posted and why. Gender critical discussion is mostly not allowed and anyone who mentions any other forum is immediately banned.

This forum was a spin-off: motherboard-forum.com . It's less restrictive but also much quieter unfortunately. It's a real shame the Essential Baby forums were closed.

Back on topic: I voted for a republic last time but I really dislike the proposed model this time around so I'm uncertain which way I would vote. From conversations with indigenous Australians, many of the older people had a very fond relationship with the Queen because they could get an audience with her when sometimes they weren't being heard by local officials. There's a diversity of thought amongst First Australians, just like with any other group.

Like the OP I have dual citizenship. I’d be in favour of a republic for Australia, although my feelings on the subject are mild. What I absolutely don’t want is a referendum, forcing people into one extreme camp or another, inviting lasting division and bitterness. More usefully, we could have discussions about how we want the country to be governed; what the role of the head of state should be; how they might come to be appointed and disposed of; and how/when any powers could be exercised. Without that the discussion doesn’t get further than ‘I don’t want an Australian head of state to be based in London’ on the one hand and ‘Yes, but I don’t want Trump’ on the other. So until then, I’ll keep the status quo. As far as the UK is concerned, Pomp & Circumstance, including the Monarchy, is it’s USP. Without that it’s just a grey damp island just off continental Europe, used by the US as a convenient unsinkable aircraft carrier. So I think we’re stuck with them.

I tried to get a chat going about this in my exercise class this morning but all the Australians there were like “yeah don’t really mind either way” 😁
I think most Australians are fairly pragmatic sensible people who think “if it ain’t broke” but also if someone came up with a sensible model that wasn’t overly cumbersome (given that we vote on various levels of government seemingly every other week here), wouldn’t be horribly embarrassing on a world stage (so no novelty characters) and we could be proud of, they’d probably go for that.

We already have so many people to vote for here at federal, state and council level that i think a lot of the reticence to change is just thinking “surely we’ve elected everyone electable now anyway, there’s no one left” but not wanting to be left with a joke character.

@ManicDreamPixie the U.K. economy is the 5th largest in the world - it’s hardly only known for the monarchy.

I'm Australian. I'm fascinated by the Royal Family and also think we should become a republic. It's hard to function as a mature democracy when your Head of State lives on the other side of the world.
It's a generational thing.
My DC, early 20s have been astonished by the events of this week (our parliament being cancelled, Victorian politicians being resworn in, 24 hour coverage of events in the UK). My mother, in her 90s, thinks it is all right and proper. She was in a card game in 1952 when the King died and they all stopped playing for the afternoon out of respect.
Our PM will look at a republic of he has a second term.
And @Keyansier, how rude.

Hear hear

I don't want anything like an American presidential system in Australia and I'd vote against any model like it. I like that our governor-general has no political power and (apart from the crisis of 1973) stays out of day-to-day politics.

I'm sure the hot Australian guys would be turned off by somebody, who is offended by harmless broadcasting, on the Queen's death.

I'm a dual citizen. As a Brit I like the monarchy, but it's really not much use having a head of state that doesn't live in the country. The King/Queen meets the UK prime minister weekly, opens parliament, attends functions, opens hospitals, is up to date on the national mood and feeling, represents the UK and it's interest to the world etc etc. IS British, understands and loves their country.

It's just not possible for the King to fulfill that function for Australia as doesn't live here and isn't Australian. I question really what purpose they are serving here except for a brief tour every few years.

The Australian prime minister is already fulfilling those roles himself, so I query whether we need anyone additional. Just have the PM here and let Charles get on with being King of the UK.

@Keyansier so mean and off topic! I love Australian accents, and not all English accents fill me with joy if I’m honest, but I’m glad everyone doesn’t speak the same.m- how boring would that be! One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

@Hairday absolutely time to break free I’d say, it would be great for Australia to have a head of state that would represent Australia alone around the world. They could be just a figure head, like the monarch but more Aussie. Who do you think Australians might choose?

The Governor General does a lot of things so presumably we’d need someone similar to fulfil those roles. So it isn’t a political position, equally it’s much more than just a figurehead.
It probably needs someone whose been involved in charity work, or public service. Can’t be anyone who’s using it to step ahead in a career - it’s nothing like a presidential role really.
Needs to be totally separate from both political parties and not comment on political matters at all.
Or, of course, we could completely change the whole governmental system so we DO have a political President. I see little desire for that model though.

I assume Australian accents will become synonymous with “attractive and desirable man” once a woman has young children because of the association with Bandit Heeler.

That would be for the Australian people to decide.

Current governor general has been a complete dud.

@Hairday kylie minogue? Geoffrey Rush? Nick Cave maybe? Cate Blanchett? Baz Luhrmann could probably do a good job at pomp and ceremony!

I think I may only know show biz types from Australia…sorry

God imagine having Kylie Minogue. I think we’re already seen as a bit of a lightweight country, that would just cement our airhead status 😆

Absolutely agree, and the latest news suggests the possibility of corruption too. It’s just staggering to me that Hurley allowed the secret ministries, apparently without seeking advice from a constitutional QC, and “at the same time as” accepting a large financial grant for a charity that isn’t operating.

I think we should be a republic and I voted for a republic, but I also think that the republican movement has done a very poor job, talking in nationalistic catchphrases instead of promoting some thought about what sort of republic we might be. Would we be a republic that respected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? One which wanted equality for women? Or was committed to respecting international human rights? I know why the ARM did it, but “a resident for president” just isn’t a compelling reason for change.

Also, how do we avoid a Trump-style president without ending up with one who is a captive of the govt of the day, like Hurley?

@Ozgirl75 Kylie’s iconic! And she always hits her mark, in short, you should be so lucky…etc etc

Absolutely agree, and the latest news suggests the possibility of corruption too. It’s just staggering to me that Hurley allowed the secret ministries, apparently without seeking advice from a constitutional QC, and “at the same time as” accepting a large financial grant for a charity that isn’t operating.

And conveniently forgot to list the appointments in his public diary. Dodgy AF, as we say.

Yes! Like ozgirl75 said, it has to someone bipartisan. Someone who has already contributed to the country. Not a showbiz person or journalist. Maybe Megan Davis, Donna stolzenberg, Tanya hosch? I would love our first president to be a woman. Although, I suppose we've technically had a woman head of state for 70 years. Still. It would mean a lot.

I'm afraid not. This is the verse I'm referring to. It was removed in the 1980s when people started thinking how great it would be to have a national anthem that was about us, rather than a different country:

When gallant Cook from Albion sail'd,
To trace wide oceans o'er,
True British courage bore him on,
Til he landed on our shore.
Then here he raised Old England's flag,
The standard of the brave;
"With all her faults we love her still"
"Britannia rules the wave."
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance, Australia fair.