If Fiji can remove Lizzy from thier coins...

I'd love for Australia to become a republic. The Royal family are elitist, tax dodging delusional folk.

 

Roman im all for a republic, it should have happend back when men were men and everybody had steak for tea the 1850s

As for the German *&%$ that runs England. i have no idea why you would want it on anything.

Never trust the Fabian sociailist scum

 

Is there going to be any difference in your day to day lives if Australia is a republic or commonwealth?

I have no love for the Royal family, they basically are where they are because their ancestors were the biggest thugs of the time, but you know, does it really affect people's lives in any way? I can guarantee one thing, Australia becoming a Republic won't make you more free or prosperous. It's largely just ceremonial now anyway. It's not the Royal family that are the problem.

Republic conversation is just another distraction imo.

 

This ^^

 

Actually, they do pay tax.

 

Why should I swap from a few elitist entitled nobodies several thousand miles away,
for several thousand elitist nobodies a few miles away?

 

never changing side of the coin ... damn boring ...
but when one has an opportunity to change faces at least twice in a century it is good ))

he would be perfect for koala bullion ... with a guess: try to find where's koala and where's Charlie

 

I for one support the current system. I'm not against a Republic IF it's done right, but there's a high risk that we'd get a system that is objectively worse than what we have now.

The current (Westminster) system:

- Has centuries of history behind it - a proven track record, across multiple countries;

- Features an apolitical head of state - someone that is not a member of a political party, does not comment on or influence the proceedings of the legislature and is essentially a powerless 'rubber stamp'. They execute the will of the legislature (and by extension, the people that voted for that legislature), as the executive branch should, without having any personal influence in the matter (unlike a US-style President)

- Is an important reflection of our origins, history and traditions

Having said that, I'm sure a republic is inevitable (after Lizzy dies) ... I just hope we get a decent system!

 

What we need here is a CIVIL WAR before we become a republic.
To get rid of the bastion of socialism the UN and get back the rights of common law.
And to keep the new government in line from to many stupid oppresive rules
And cut of the balls of the bludgers while were at it, dont need anymore of them.

You dont want to be a SLAVE forever do YOU ?

 

According to the OLD definition of republic, Australia already is! The old definition is "a country ruled by law" cf a country ruled by decree, which is traditionally the way most monarchies and tyrannies are ruled. The modern concept of a republic being a country ruled by representatives of the people with a president (elected or appointed) has developed from confusion between democracy (rule by the people) and republic (rule by law) caused by the USA being a democratic republic and the inability of some to separate the two concepts.

Australia has been a sovereign nation since we were accorded a place at the peace negotiations after WWI, not just lumped in with the Brits as "Commonwealth". A sovereign nation is one that is recognised by other nations as being, well, an independent nation. A "recent" example being Israel, where the UN recognised Israel as a nation. Israel went on to declare their sovereignty (something Australia hasn't done) and despite the fact that some nations do not recognise the existence of Israel, the majority of the world do. Australia for example is a democratic bureaucratic constitutional monarchy republic - which in days long past would be a ridiculous contradiction - obvious nonsense!!

The Queen, who by the way, was made "Queen of Australia" by Act of Parliament in the 1970's (in time to open the Sydney Opera House) has less power, in Australia, than her appointed representative, the Governor-General, in whose hands the power concentrates, always with the advice of his council, the PM.

The recent choice of republic or stay the same appears to have been rejected because the people saw no difference between parliament recommending a "President" and the PM recommending a "Governor-general". Either way, the role would stay the same, the PM would be in charge and the people wanted something different. Add to this the affection with which man hold the current "Queen of Australia" and you have a double whammy.

The question over whether Parliament had the power to make the Queen of the UK etc, etc and head of the Commonwealth of Nations (No longer BRITISH Commonwealth, please note) is an excellent question. However, like most professional rulers, the politicians who "represent" the people reckon they did. So they just did it.

I believe I've mentioned before elsewhere in these fora that I dislike Winston Churchill. He did say that democracy is the worst form of government except all those that have already been tried. I agree but would add that democracy would be improved by pruning - sometimes very significant pruning, to remind those that represent the people that they represent the people not the party or themselves. The second amendment to the US constitution allows the people to bear arms not to protect themselves against thieves, or murderers or even foreign governments but against their own government, who, it is believed, left unchecked would destroy their freedom. This is a form of pruning.

How should Australia be governed and who or what should be on the face of the coins? Queen or Governor-Gerneral or Prime Minister - what's in a name? Any bureaucracy will always want more power and influence, people ambitious to be seen as important will always want more power and influence. I believe its more important to restrict the power of Government rather than argue over the form. As for the coins, lets junk the current system and have gold and silver ozzies with any Australian flower, animal or thing on the reverse and the skull and cross bones on the obverse with specified weights of gold and silver, in grams, in each coin making up 90% of the weight of the coin. Anyone have change for a 50 g gold Ossy???

 

+1 to a republic. Whilst we're at it, change the flag and get rid of the national anthem.

 

Why don't we just change the whole country so it's nothing like what we love. How does getting rid of everything that is 'us' make us any better?

While we're at it, change the system of government, replace the population, set the roads to right hand drive and then we'll be....China...great.

 

NO QUEEN!!!!! Nicest piece of art I mean gold I have ever seen

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NygzoOrm-KI[/youtube]

 

What no one has mentioned, esp the pro-republicans, is that removing the Queen is hugely unpopular amongst Fijian citizens. They want the Queen to remain on their money for historical and cultural reasons.

There was no referendum or even a debate on this issue. It was simply a unilateral decision by the self-appointed military dictator Bananarama.

 

Back to the original topic - Fiji can remove Elizabeth as she is not the head of state in Fiji. They have a president.

They are part of the Commonwealth, but being part of the Commonwealth does not mean you have Elizabeth as your head of state. Fiji and many other republics are part of the Commonwealth, which is an organisation of countries who have historical ties to the Commonwealth, but not necessarily the same head of state (i.e. Elizabeth).

Australia has Elizabeth as the head of state and is part of the Commonwealth.

So Fiji had nothing but tradition to have her on their coins, but Australia has their head of state on our coins (another type of tradition but stronger).

 

Exactly right Spode - Elizabeth is Queen of Australia! There was no referendum or debate on he matter. The Whitlam Government simply amended the Royal Style and Titles Act 1927 to give her the title " Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.

Lizzy is the head of state of 15 of 54 nations in the Commonwealth. Fiji was a member of the Commonwealth with Lizzy as Head of State from 1970 to 1987 when that pesky military coup installed a parliamentary republic, removing Lizzy as head of state.

As Mao once said, Power grows from the barrel of the gun.

 

I don't want a foreigner who is "born to rule" as our head of state. The flag has the flag of another country in it which is just an embarrassment. Not to mention it looks so similar to the flag of NZ.
The national anthem is just tripe. Surely we can come up with something better. In the end, why do we need a national anthem anyway.

 

With all the Europeans, South Africans and Asians who have chosen to live in Australia over the last 200 years you would think that there would be less love for the British overlords. Still, who doesn't like a royal wedding every now and then?

At least this country doesn't suffer from the class system that is still prevelant in the UK today. You guys might like the Queen but I wonder how you would feel if we transported all the other earls, lords, dukes, viscounts, barons, dutchesses and assorted parasites who think they are better than you.