I’ve been a member of the Australian Republic Movement for some time now. My support of the idea has never wavered, but my belief in the prospect of getting it done has. So, it’s good to finally see some movement to the Movement.
The ARM has announced their new proposed model. It’s good to finally see it released. I’ve contributed thoughts, time, and support to the development of this proposal over the last two years. I’m delighted to see that a lot of my opinions have been accommodated here. In particular:
- The word “President” has been removed from all of the material, with a title yet to be determined. For many people with a limited understanding of the system, the word President will trigger images of a US system. Even though this couldn’t be further from the truth, language is an important shorthand to get messages across. I’m still hoping for a unique Australian title, perhaps derived from a First Nations language.
- The new Head of State would not be allowed to circumvent legislation (which the royal family are currently allowed to do). Just because they don’t, doesn’t mean they won’t. Convention is becoming less conventional.
- The PM (a position not currently mentioned in the constitution) would no longer be able to unilaterally sack the Head of State, as they can currently do to the Governor-General. The parliament would be empowered to do so in extreme circumstances.
- Given the above, it improves the current system in practical ways, not just symbolic.
I’m well aware this topic is not top of mind for most people right now who are battling the clusterfuck of piss-poor lazy government – struggling to get food, RATs, vaccines. But the Queen, who is 95, will not be around much longer, and soon enough her son will take over. The idea of continuing with this foreign unaccountable celebrity family at the top of the chain is ludicrous. The system is broken.
The full proposal is explained here.