Re: Republic of Australia
 

Can't see what my 3 Cornish uncles have to do with this :D

Re: Republic of Australia
 

Current vote is 18 to 15.

I assume you brought those three in to bump up the votes on one side by 3 !!! :D :D

The bigger annoyance is the curriculum compatibility. I was kept at school in England when my parents moved to Scotland because of the difference. How compatible are all the states education systems? I know the federal government is trying to bang the states heads together on this issue but nothing much appears to be happening.

Re: Republic of Australia
 

I'll vote yes - can't believe that people still support a queen in this day and age - all men are born equal in my book so the idea of a royal family goes against one of my key principles - simple as that.

Our day will come:beer:

I think they may be getting somewhere on the issue of getting a standardised handwriting style for each state ! :)

And for those who think i am joking, think again !

Not a sufficiently compelling issue to be worth the time and trouble to change.

When the Royals apply to emigrate then a republic would be all the go.

Re: Republic of Australia
 

Some people support having the Queen there, for just one reason; She has the power to remove a government, and request that the population of Australia choose another.

Not that it is likely to happen again !

The only time that power was used, when the OZ population was really complaining about the then current Government, the population voted in a different government, and solved some of the problems, but many didn't forgive the Queen for "interfering".

Now, if the Ozzies can find a Truly Independent, Non-Political person to take over the position, then it may get wholehearted support. Until then the country needs to wait a little while longer, until the population balance changes further away from the original British base. ie: The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Turkish, Lebanese, Afghans, etc.... the majority of these and all the others will in all probability vote YES to a republic, no matter how the question is put ! :D

Re: Republic of Australia
 

As I recall it was because of failure to agree the budget ultimatley, and with a closely balanced house this could always happen again. I can't even remember the name of the current GG who in practice has the power as Vice Regal thingy.

Re: Republic of Australia
 

Yes, that budget thing rings a bell. :) Do you remember when it happened ?

I don't the Queen, or her Vice Regal thingy, :) - will step in again like last time though ! :D

Re: Republic of Australia
 

1975

On 11 November the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Labour government led by Mr Gough Whitlam after the Opposition-controlled Senate had voted on 16 and 25 October and on 6 November to deny Supply by deferring consideration of two Appropriation Bills. With the Government and the Opposition still maintaining their respective positions on this deadlock on the morning of 11 November, and with Mr Whitlam’s persistence later that day in an audience with the Governor-General in his refusal to advise an election for the House of Representatives or a double dissolution, Sir John Kerr revoked his commission. His Excellency then commissioned the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Malcolm Fraser, as Prime Minister and when the Senate had duly passed the Appropriation Bills he dissolved both Houses of Parliament on Mr Fraser’s advice. The Fraser administration was confirmed in office by a landslide and given a majority in the Senate at the election of 13 December.

And for other uses of Governor and GG power go here:

http://www.norepublic.com.au/essays/...gal_Powers.htm

Re: Republic of Australia
 

Thanks for that, it looks I was wrong about the Queen even being involved !
This extract from the Queens office : "As we understand the situation here, the Australian Constitution firmly places the prerogative powers of the Crown in the hands of the Governor-General as the representative of the Queen of Australia. The only person competent to commission an Australian Prime Minister is the Governor-General, and The Queen has no part in the decisions which the Governor-General must take in accordance with the Constitution. Her Majesty, as Queen of Australia, is watching events in Canberra with close interest and attention, but it would not be proper for her to intervene in person in matters which are so clearly placed within the jurisdiction of the Governor-General by the Constitution Act"

And the Governer General is appointed by the then current PM, so in theory he should be on the side of the current Government !

Sir John Kerr, The man appointed by Whitlam to the position of Governor-General in 1974 is variously portrayed as a man of principle, a deceiver, an insecure man desperate to make his mark on history, a drunk. And he was the one to dimiss his employer, Whitlam, from Power !

Referendum information from OZ newspapers

The Courier Mail have done a poll aswell:

Do we need another referendum on a republic?

56.49% Yes
43.5% No

as at 12.26pm 21/4/04

Re: Republic of Australia
 

Many people from the UK don't realise that the Australian Senate is a completely different kind of Upper House compared to the House of Lords in the UK, which does not have significant blocking powers over legislation.

By contrast, the Australian Senate has near-equal power with the House of Representatives. Although Australia is considered to have a 'British' model of government, its Senate is more akin to the US Senate rather than the British House of Lords.

As a result, the Senate can, if it wishes, bring down the Australian government by denying what's known as 'supply' (ie, funds to run the government). The final say then effectively goes to the Australian people in an election.

The election is normally called by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, but in 1975 the Senate was demanding an election while the Prime Minister was resisting it. Hence the Governor General decided to pre-empt the Prime Minister and force an election to take place.

This, in a nutshell, is what happened in 1975. It could not have happened in the UK as the House of Lords has nothing like the power of the Australian Senate.

Even today, the Howard government does not have a majority in the Senate and regularly has to negotiate to get its legislation through parliament.

There's another useful resource explaining the events of 1975 at:
http://www.whitlamdismissal.com/

Most Australian public libraries will have some books available on this era too.

Adopting a republic would not prevent a repeat of the events of 1975 - except with a President rather than a GG in the firing line - if a future Senate tried to force an unwilling government into an election.

Jeremy

Re: Republic of Australia
 

There was one called Sir John Kerr who was able to bring about an election and the downfall of the Whitlam Government - I remember his name!

OzTennis:)

The Governor General is the Queens representative in Australia and is appointed by the Australian PM. The GG has similiar powers in Australia as the Queen does in the UK and is largley symbolic.