Advantages of being a republic.. (1 Viewer)

[BackCountrySnow]

So it seems everyone is for becoming a republic these days (except the libs) but noone ever says why we should become a republic. all you hear is that it's a nessassary step we need to take as a nation and that it's not a matter of 'if', but when..

So to everyone who believes it is nessassary to become a republic, please tell me why this is how you think..

 

[melanieeeee.]

So to everyone who believes it is nessassary to become a republic, please tell me why this is how you think..

\
because Rudd says so!
nah im jsut kidding, i dont think we should become a republic.

 

[*TRUE*]

\
because Rudd says so!
nah im jsut kidding, i dont think we should become a republic.

I dont want a republic yet...

 

[melanieeeee.]

I dont want a republic yet...

*TRUE*

 

[chicky_pie]

Not all Liberal supporters are opposed to Australia becoming a republic, I want a republic!! omg..

Advantage of becoming a republic:

* No more Queen Elizabeth face on our coins and bills.

* Our tax money will no more go to the British Monarch's when they visit Australia.

* Get a new flag, not blue, red and white. Green and Gold, that's our true colours!!

* We can finally call someone president that is a Australian, not American.

* We have better relations with the U.S and Asia than the U.K and Europe.

 

[chicky_pie]

I'm impartial but its pretty simple:

pro-monarchy
Can we really be f***ked replacing all the signs of the British Empire? This means starting from scratch and changing the flag, the anthem, the currency, not participating in the commonwealth games (ROFL..) etc etc. It'll take alot of time, effort and cost to do all this. So just leave as is. (scared of change)

pro-republic
The british shafted us long ago and cut all ties in the 1960's to join the EU. It means that virtually all British nfluence has been cut. e.g UK Privy Council used to be highest court of Australia but then they changed it to 'High Court' in Canberra. We used to have to get 'permission' from them before we were allowed to make changes to acts and all that legal stuff. In this day and age, our connections to the "Mother Country" are of a HISTORICAL nature only (the governor general is the only current british entity with any reasonable influence i can think of). We have far closer relations to our neighbours and trading partners (e.g US, japan, china, south korea, asia-pacific etc)

So its kinda pointless still being a member of the commonwealth. All british connections are simply redundant. Once Queen Elizabeth FINALLY dies.....we will become a republic. (realistic and the next progressive step for australia heading into the 21st century).

The hell would you want us all to wait till she die? She's going to live longer than you'd expect, look at her mother that woman lived past 100. I think donkey Charles would take over the monarch before Queen Elizabeth dies.

 

[BackCountrySnow]

pro-republic
The british shafted us long ago and cut all ties in the 1960's to join the EU. It means that virtually all British nfluence has been cut. e.g UK Privy Council used to be highest court of Australia but then they changed it to 'High Court' in Canberra. We used to have to get 'permission' from them before we were allowed to make changes to acts and all that legal stuff. In this day and age, our connections to the "Mother Country" are of a HISTORICAL nature only (the governor general is the only current british entity with any reasonable influence i can think of). We have far closer relations to our neighbours and trading partners (e.g US, japan, china, south korea, asia-pacific etc)

So its kinda pointless still being a member of the commonwealth. All british connections are simply redundant. Once Queen Elizabeth FINALLY dies.....we will become a republic. (realistic and the next progressive step for australia heading into the 21st century).

even so, i can't see how becoming a republic will benefit us. It may be pointless being under the monarchy but it doesn't do us any harm. Becoming a republic won't bring about any real change and it will cost money, time and effort.

 

[BackCountrySnow]

Advantage of becoming a republic:

* No more Queen Elizabeth face on our coins and bills.
LoL, is it that big a deal??


* Our tax money will no more go to the British Monarch's when they visit Australia.
We give them tax money when they visit?

* Get a new flag, not blue, red and white. Green and Gold, that's our true colours!!
What about the bogans who have had the aussie flag or the southern cross tatooed on them?? LOL

I'd like a new flag though.

* We can finally call someone president that is a Australian, not American.
I like 'prime minister' more

* We have better relations with the U.S and Asia than the U.K and Europe.
Not nessassarily..

 

[incentivation]

I don't see a huge difference beyond the symbolism of having the ability to elect our head of state. In saying that, it is all contingent upon the republican model adopted.

The vast array of republican models makes this whole argument redundant unless we at least are presented with a number of available options. China is a 'republic' for goodness sake.

Interesting article here: http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/yoursay/index.php/theaustralian/comments/we_would_be_losing_a_lot_more_than_her_majesty

The only discernible difference is the electable head of state; autonomy or independence are of miminal consideration in this instance. Ultimately, the choice comes down to a preference for or against retaining our historial and traditional heritage and the links hitherto. The implications constitutionally are unique, and it will be interesting to see how it all eventuates.

Symbolism and idealism are important to some degree, however pragmatism should be emphasised more freely in this debate.

How will the 'President' be elected, and what particular qualities will this person possess? What will the nomination process involve? Is it to be party political? There are so many questions, with few answers, and it's this ambiguity that makes me question the necessity of tinkering with the status quo.

 

[-WaxingLyrical-]

I don't think there are any real advantages in Australia becoming a republic. Many Australians are pro-Republican based on the symbolism. Keating said it himself

It is one of recognition: in making the change we will recognise that our deepest respect is for our Australian heritage, our deepest affection is for Australia, and our deepest responsibility is to Australia's future.

In these and other ways, the creation of an Australian republic can actually deliver a heightened sense of unity, it can enliven our national spirit and, in our own minds and those of our neighbours, answer beyond doubt the perennial question of Australian identity - the question of who we are and what we stand for. The answer is not what having a foreign Head of State suggests. We are not a political or cultural appendage to another country's past. We are simply and unambiguously Australian.

http://australianpolitics.com/executive/keating/950607republic-speech.shtml

IMO the debate has been done way too many times, with too many people caught up in the symbolism of it all - it's not really going to solve problems. There are far more important issues to be concerned about, and the question of whether Australia should become a Republic should take a backseat (not like the 2020 summit).

 

[*TRUE*]

I don't think there are any real advantages in Australia becoming a republic. Many Australians are pro-Republican based on the symbolism. Keating said it himself






http://australianpolitics.com/executive/keating/950607republic-speech.shtml

IMO the debate has been done way too many times, with too many people caught up in the symbolism of it all - it's not really going to solve problems. There are far more important issues to be concerned about, and the question of whether Australia should become a Republic should take a backseat (not like the 2020 summit).

Very true.

 

[Triangulum]

becoming a republic is not the same as leaving the commonwealth. only 16 of the 53 commonwealth countries have elizabeth as head of state.

i think we should become a republic because we're an independent australian nation and so it's ridiculous to have a briton rather than an australian as the highest-ranked person in our political system. it's embarassing and anachronistic that our leaders are expected to bow and scrape to a foreign monarch who achieved her position by nothing more than an accident of birth.

sure the republic is symbolic, but that doesnt mean we should ignore the issue.

 

[shannonm]

flag is an independant issue to whether we are a republic or not.
even if we do become a republic we will still need to vote (with our current flag as a choice) on the new flag. I simply cannot imagine enough votes in favour of changing the flag because so many people are 'used to it' and the wording in the relevant legislation would make it difficult to change it

that being said, we can remain a monarchy and change the flag, no problems (if the people want to) - just like how we voted for our anthem instead of god save the queen in 1977


I'm personally in favour of becoming a republic after our monarch carks it, simply because I like change on national levels (glad that austria-hungary isn't around anymore) and I think it would be interesting to see some new currencies, and other big changes

 

[Raven3333]

I'm a heavy liberal supporter and a republic suporter as well. Becoming a republic is a step that will take Australia out of its infancy stage and into an influencial nation.

 

[ohdyamo]

I'm sort of against becoming a republic. Australia has its origins with Britain, if it wasn't for Britain, we wouldn't have the country that we call Australia today. I think those British ties are very important, more so in a historical and symbolic context.

It's not like the monarachy has any bearing on the way Australia is run, with all practical ties with Britain being cut years ago, so why remove the remaining historical and symbolic elements when they are such a big part of our history? Why change what we have, which is a very stable form of government, when there isn't anything wrong with it?

Some of people who are in favour of a Republic in this thread seem to have missed the mark and need to do a bit more research.

 

[chicky_pie]

Is it wrong to feel so incredibly ambivalent about this entire thing?

I'll miss the term prime-minister, though. Think it'd be a cool idea to use something other than President as ruler of Australia, though.

In France they have a Prime Minister after the President, or would it be different if we become a republic and adopt it like how they have the government formed in America?

 

[melanieeeee.]

I'm a heavy liberal supporter and a republic suporter as well. Becoming a republic is a step that will take Australia out of its infancy stage and into an influencial nation.

it's ironic cause i'm a labor supporter and i dont think australia should become a republic.

 

[Triangulum]

In France they have a Prime Minister after the President, or would it be different if we become a republic and adopt it like how they have the government formed in America?

generally the republic proposal is that the political system would not change, but the figurehead at the top would be an australian president/whatever else you want to call them rather than the queen. executive power would still effectively vest in the prime minister and cabinet, so it's basically the irish model of a parliamentary system with a very weak president. not many people are really in favour of wholesale change to how the political system works, like to the american or french/russian system.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

i think we should become a republic because we're an independent australian nation and so it's ridiculous to have a briton rather than an australian as the highest-ranked person in our political system. it's embarassing and anachronistic that our leaders are expected to bow and scrape to a foreign monarch who achieved her position by nothing more than an accident of birth

are you sure that a a true 'Strayan president would be less embarrasing?

 

[spyro14]

I dont really see the point of the Governor General being the representative of the Queen. Apart from the fact that it has basically been the Prime Minister that has selected the Governor General since the 1930's, and that their roles have been almost purely ceremonial (exception being Sir John Kerr), Australia has developed into a world figure which is increasing its influence on other nations. For Australia to remain a Constitutional Monarchy would be an absolute joke.

Don't ask yourself whether or not Australia should be a republic, ask how we should go about becoming one.