It’s time for Australia and Canada to become a republic.

a reply to: M5xaz

Well, your argument about me being an idiot probably holds true. But you lost me on “sense of history and culture”.

By all means history and culture should by highly respected. But I don’t think it should be dictated to us by a head of state in the modern world.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

How does The Monarchy dictate to you?

The fact is Australia, Canada, New Zealand et al are all completely independent and are in charge of their own affairs.
Your respective legislative bodies draft your laws and policies.

How would getting rid of The Monarchy as Head of State and replacing it with something else be of practical help?
Will it actually improve things?
Will your life change in any way shape or form?
Will you be more 'free'?
Will you have a better standard of living and quality of life?

a reply to: Freeborn

We have a governor-general, who is essentially like a president and takes his orders from the royal family, as far as I can tell.

Yeah, we’re told he’s just a symbolic figure and stays out of our affairs… but that’s just publicly, who knows what goes on behind the scenes?

Besides, it might have been all well and good when it was just a noble old lady at the head of the table, but now we have King Charles… who knows how much his going to want to stick his nose into ‘world affairs’.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

What 'orders'?

The moment Charlie starts interfering in politics he'll be history.

Good luck finding someone or something to replace The Monarchy.
As far as I can tell it'd just be yet another self-promoting, self-aggrandising career politician with little or no interest in looking after the interests and well being of ordinary Australian people.

a reply to: Freeborn

You sound like my dad… lol.

But how could he be history if there’s nothing that can replace him? You kind of contradict yourself there.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

The reason a Constitutional Monarchy works is because they keep out of politics - mind you they probably couldn't do any worse than the incompetent, corrupt morons who are running the show at present.

If Charles interferes in the running of the government then its time for change.....with what I don't know.
As far as I can tell all the alternatives aren't much better....given the Presidents I've seen in my lifetime I don't really think that would be any better than what we have at present.

As I've said; its your shout.....but be mindful of what you're replacing it with should you guys ever decide to get rid of The Monarchy.
Change for change's sake rarely works out very well.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

I actually think the revised Westminster system used in Australia is superior to the unmodified Westminster system.

That doesn't mean it is perfect. There's always room for improvement.

But, in terms of politics, it should be done very deliberately and incrementally. So that people can engage in the process sufficiently.

Revolutions usually end in just a different type of tyranny, but the gradual process of long-standing governmental systems seems to lead to better governance, in historical terms.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Subaeruginosa

No guns.

No leverage.

I can’t tell if you’re trolling, misinformed or both.

A) We have guns. There’s around 60k registered deer shooters in my state alone where the minimum legal caliber to gun them is .270 and that doesn’t account for all the shotgun owning duck hunters and others. Aussies not having guns is a myth- we just have stricter legislation on what types you can own ie; I can still go and get a semi-automatic rifle with the correct license type.

B) You really think the British are going to invade us and Australia would need to rely on its citizens private arsenals to fend them off over a decision to become a republic? We don’t even need leverage, to become a republic or not is the choice of the Australian people and government alone.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
The Queen has passed away and I think enough time has passed where we can actually talk about this without being accused of being disrespectful.

I’ve already heard all the arguments against it and quite frankly think it’s complete BS… nothing really has to change. We can keep the Westminster system, all that happens is the Governor General becomes the president, who is actually elected by the people.

It’s a simple transformation! So why isn’t it being considered?

Not like our strong alliance with the British has to change… we just become completely independent of the primitive British monarchy… which by the way has no cultural significance within modern day Australian or (dare I guess) Canadian society.

There’s not one good reason I can see why we’re still holding onto this primitive system.

So why aren’t we seriously considering the prospect of becoming a republic right now?

Its because the people of Brittney are all snaggled tooth like and want to retain lordships and the likes when asking the master for a spot of poorage and tea is better than pushing the inbred leadership into a corner is silly.
The queen is dead nows the time to make your republic.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Agree mate, although our ties to the monarchy are largely ceremonial except the role of the Governor General I’d like to see us become a republic for reasons around shaping our national identity.

Removing the Union Jack from our flag would be a good start.

To Be Or Not To Be?

I think good ol' federation of Aussie is caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the republic question.

The way I see it, the question is who gets to run the show.

Back in 1975, Sir John Kerr the Governor General of Australia dismissed the Whitlam government. A duly elected federal government.

What Happened?

The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government by the Governor-General, on November 11, 1975, still stands as the most dramatic and controversial event in Australia’s political history.

The decision of the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, to dismiss the Labor Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, and install the Liberal Opposition Leader, Malcolm Fraser, as caretaker prime minister, on condition that he called an election, was a sensational development that ended a three-week parliamentary stand-off.

The crisis began on October 15, when the Opposition parties announced they would block the government’s Supply Bills in the Senate, as a means of forcing the government to an election. Whitlam refused to call an election and three weeks of parliamentary debate and public campaigning convulsed the political system.

On November 11, Whitlam sought a half-Senate election from the Governor-General. Kerr rejected the advice and dismissed Whitlam. He commissioned Malcolm Fraser as caretaker prime minister. Fraser immediately secured the passage of Supply through the Senate and recommended a double dissolution of the parliament.

The election was held on December 13, 1975. The Fraser-led Coalition won the largest victory in Australia’s federal history.

Source: The Whitlam dismissal dot com - What Happened?

I remember knocking off work and seeing the headlines in the Daily News newspaper.

So it boils down to the fact that the Aussie federal government can get dismissed with a bit of paperwork between the Governor and the palace. I understand the same thing can happen with our state governments who have their own governors.

So a leash held by the monarchy.

On the other hand if we abolish the constitutional monarchy and become a republic, then we can go down the plughole like the American republic has with the mess over there.

Hmmmm . . . .

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: M5xaz

Well, your argument about me being an idiot probably holds true. But you lost me on “sense of history and culture”.

By all means history and culture should by highly respected. But I don’t think it should be dictated to us by a head of state in the modern world.

Yes, clearly

You don't understand "history and culture"

Got it.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Subaeruginosa

No guns.

No leverage.

Complete load of BS. There are 56 independent countries part of the Commonwealth with a population of 2.5 billion. 36 of them have become Republics. With the latest country becoming a Republic just last year.....Barbados.

It is totally up-to the people of Canada or Australia to become Republics if they want to, whenever they want.

worth remembering the crown has survived 2 goes at trying to make a republic work in England, the French had the same issues and are on the 5th go at making a republic work within that includes a number of times attempting to make a monarchy work.

personally I'd be happy to sever ties between the UK and both Canada/Australia leaving them to fight it out with the scots as to if they want to be subdivisions of the USA or China as thats the cold choice both have.. flip a coin to choose between being Americans or Chinese as neither will let either be..

to be fair both kinda look like a mishmash of china/usa as it is..

a reply to: MykeNukem

choices to become good American or Chinese citizens I'm sure has strong appeal in both countries going on the culture wars/pandemic response, both are strong net zero/covid zero citizens..

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

You can have your full independence if you have a majority that want this. If like Scotland, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands etc, you have a majority that want the Royals to stay in control then you stay under the shackles of British imperialism. Simple as that.

a reply to: nickyw

Honestly though, Australian culture in this day and age is far more aligned with US culture than British. Plus, there’s almost certainly a larger US military presence on Australian soil than there is British… so I think that choice was already made a long time ago.

As to whether we’d go with the US or China, I don’t think that’s a question that even needs to be asked. Since Australias whole foreign policy has been based around fully backing the US no matter what since world war 2.

No doubt Canada is the same.

EDIT: Personally, I think that at this stage becoming independent from Britain would be just like cutting out the middle man and going straight to the source… no offense.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

....becoming independent from Britain....

Australia is 'fully independent from Britain'.
The UK has neither the power or the desire to force any policies or legislation on Australia.

Yes, we have have many shared cultural and historic links and common values, but that's it.
To some of us those links and values are important, obviously not so much to others.

Australia, just like New Zealand and Canada et al, will do as they see fit, and that is as it should be.

I may be a bit of an anachronism, even a contradiction, but I like The Commonwealth and have a deep sense of respect for all those who have been steadfast friends of the UK over the years.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

n o offence taken,

honestly I'd rather we (Britain) cut ourselves free of you, as looking at how fast both Australians and Canadians are rushing to sterilise their young with what seems to be a rush to euthanise the vulnerable.. its all very 1920s and looks to be taking over from where new liberalism left off when it died in 1922/1923.. at this point I can see conservatism following a similar fate to new liberalism, as the key fight shifts back to pluralism and against the extremes.

which is why we're heading towards ever greater divergence, its all very reformation like.. but it places Australia, Canada on totally different paths to one that is beholden to whichever extreme side wins the conflict in the USA or failing that falls to CCP control.

I do wish you guys luck in finding a safe port..

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: nickyw

Honestly though, Australian culture in this day and age is far more aligned with US culture than British.

Australian way of speaking, slang, sport interest, education system, police, health service is far more in line with Britain than the USA. Add to the fact that 60,000 Brits move to Australia per year, compared to 2,000 Americans. It's a bit odd to say that Australian culture is more aligned to USA. As someone who spent a year in Australia, a year in New Zealand, and 2 months in USA. USA is like an alien country.