republic or the commonwealth

[Bio-Weapon84]

this is very hard to explain. but i decided to start a poll about this issue

the poms are very afraid that australia might quit the commonwealth and go republic

what are your thoughts

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2943486.ece

Australia may say farewell to Queen after republican leader wins election

Australia will hold a referendum on removing the Queen as head of state after Kevin Rudd, the Labor leader and a staunch republican, swept to power at the weekend, bringing an end to 11 years of Conservative rule.

Mr Rudd, 50, a former diplomat, has promised to hold a plebiscite on severing links with the monarchy. He said yesterday that he would withdraw Australian troops from Iraq and ratify the Kyoto pact on climate change.

With 53 percent of the vote, Mr Rudd brought an emphatic end to the 11-year tenure of John Howard, an avowed monarchist who was set last night to become the first Prime Minister since 1929 to lose his seat at a general election.

During the campaign Mr Rudd, who speaks fluent Mandarin and has lived in China, said: “Can I say, we’re going to consult the people again. We haven’t fixed a time frame for doing that, and I think the time will come before too much longer when we do have an Australian as our head of state,” Mr Howard allowed a referendum on the issue in 1999 but it was roundly rejected despite two thirds of Australian voters saying in successive polls that they wanted a Republic with an Australian head of state.

Critics of the referendum argued that it was rigged in favour of monarchists because it gave voters only the option of having Parliament elect a President and not the direct election of a head of state by the people.

Mr Rudd, who rose from an impoverished childhood in rural Queensland, has promised a plebiscite which is likely to offer a far broader means of choosing an Australian head of state. It is expected that the plebiscite would probably be held in 2010 in conjunction with the next general election.

Adding to the strong likelihood of Australia now becoming a republic was an announcement yesterday that Mr Howard’s Treasurer and heirapparent as leader of the LiberalNational Coalition, Peter Costello, was withdrawing from political life and would not seek to lead the Opposition.

It is now expected that the richest man in the Australian Parliament, a former lawyer and businessman, Malcolm Turnbull, will be elected Opposition leader later this week. Mr Turnbull, 52, is a leading republican and headed the Australian Republic movement at the time of the last referendum.

With polls showing strong support for a republic, Buckingham Palace insists that the issue can only be resolved at the ballot box. “I have always made it clear that the future of the monarchy in Australia is an issue for you, the Australian people, and you alone to decide by democratic and constitutional means. It should not be otherwise,” the Queen said during a State visit to Australia in 2000.

Mr Howard, the last avowed monarchist at the top of Australian public life, was set for an inglorious end to a career in public life by becoming only the second sitting Prime Minister in Australia to lose his seat at a general election.

The Sydney suburban parliamentary seat he has held for 33 years was expected to go to a former television newscaster, Maxine McKew. Mr Howard, 68, ignored the advice of some senior ministers that he should stand aside before the election.

Mr Rudd swept the Labor Party into office on the back of about 53 per cent of the vote compared with the Government’s 47 per cent. Computer projections show Labor on track to take at least 86 seats in Australia’s 150-seat House of Representatives.

Mr Howard was clearly unnerved by the scale of Labor’s win, which came despite his attempts throughout the campaign to sow alarm at the prospects of the party ruining Australia’s economy. Such an emphatic victory will allow Mr Rudd to begin implementing the core promises of his campaign, which include the withdrawal of Australia’s 550 troops in Iraq. Mr Rudd has said the troop withdrawal will be staged and done in consultation with the United States — which he will visit early next year. He will also the sign the Kyoto agreement on climate change on behalf of Australia — something Mr Howard had always refused to endorse.

Mr Rudd has also said he will offer a formal apology to Australian Aborigines for the injustices they have suffered at white hands.

Labor’s win sees the elevation of Australia’s first woman as deputy Prime Minister. Julia Gillard, 46, emigrated with her parents from Barry, South Glamorgan, when she was five years old. The daughter of a retired policeman, she trained as a lawyer and first came to public attention as leader of the Australian Union of Students.

Mr Rudd has three children and is independently wealthy because of the business success of his wife, Therese Rein, the founder of the Ingeus empire which bids for contracts to assist disabled people back into work.

How they stand

45%

of Australians are in favour of a republic

36%

are in favour of keeping the monarch

19%

are uncommitted to either, according to the latest poll conducted by The Australian in January 2007  

[DaveOZ]

Commonwealth, why?

because that way we can still take part in the commonwealth games, and the UK will come to our aid if were ever attacked by Indonesia, China, Aliens, Zombies, etc



But really, it makes no difference to our lifestyle either way, and being part of the commonwealth does have its advantages.  

[nrasjaa]

commonwealth cuz we gets more funds from the queen!!  

[Bio-Weapon84]

nrasjaa

commonwealth cuz we gets more funds from the queen!!

funds from the queen? i didnt know that confused  

[nrasjaa]

Bio-Weapon84

nrasjaa

commonwealth cuz we gets more funds from the queen!!

funds from the queen? i didnt know that confused

yea we get funding from the queen's bit of the government cuz we're a common wealth  

[Lynx Raven Raide]

God I hate this misconception...

Going republic =/= leaving the Commonwealth!

India, Bangladesh, South Africa and Singapore are all members of the Commonwealth but are republics. Hell, Malaysia and Brunei both have their own monarchies and are members of the Commonwealth.

Whilst yes the Queen is the head of the Commonwealth, she isn't the head of state for all the members. The Commonwealth is more like a UN made up of former British colonies, and there is actually a couple of countries that weren't colonies that are members as well.  

[WellzY]

Lynx Raven Raide

The Commonwealth is more like a UN made up of former British colonies, and there is actually a couple of countries that weren't colonies that are members as well.

Truly, which ones?

And don't forget Canada.

But yes, if we became a republic, we could still compete in the Commonwealth Games, and kick everyone's arse.

I used to be a staunch republican, and the practical side of me feels that a monarchy is just an out-dated system of government. But, the romantic, traditionalist in me, sees the grandure and prestige and heritage of royalty. I like things with a connection to the past, and for Australia as, by comparison, a relatively young country, I feel that connection to something older and grander.

So, torn, but more than likely, a republican.  

[Lynx Raven Raide]

WellzY

Lynx Raven Raide

The Commonwealth is more like a UN made up of former British colonies, and there is actually a couple of countries that weren't colonies that are members as well.

Truly, which ones?

And don't forget Canada.

But yes, if we became a republic, we could still compete in the Commonwealth Games, and kick everyone's arse.

I used to be a staunch republican, and the practical side of me feels that a monarchy is just an out-dated system of government. But, the romantic, traditionalist in me, sees the grandure and prestige and heritage of royalty. I like things with a connection to the past, and for Australia as, by comparison, a relatively young country, I feel that connection to something older and grander.

So, torn, but more than likely, a republican.

Mozambique is the only non-British colony that has been allowed so far, and was formerly a Portuguese colony, but there are allowances for others to join

Canada isn't a republic and was a British colony. Cameroon is also a member, though only part of its territory was under British mandate. There are a number of former colonies and protectorates which have opted not to join, such as US, Ireland and Iraq....

Actually, got help us if the US ever want to join....  

[WellzY]

I always thought Canada was a Republic, but you're right it's not.

I'VE BEEN HAD!

Either way, I'd like a flag redesign.  

[King Of Ninjas]

I want the Aboriginal flag in there somewhere/Aboriginal flag as the Aussie flag  

[ManagerKyoto]

I am a republician. Enough said.  

[Lynx Raven Raide]

WellzY

I always thought Canada was a Republic, but you're right it's not.

I'VE BEEN HAD!

Either way, I'd like a flag redesign.

Why did you think that? I mean, the Yanks always pay them out about having pictures of the Queen everywhere  

[Bobby Balderdash]

DaveOZ

if were ever attacked by Indonesia

why the hell would we ever waste our limited resources to attack you, you berk

our third world nation is already poor and chaotic enough as it is  

[WellzY]

Lynx Raven Raide

WellzY

I always thought Canada was a Republic, but you're right it's not.

I'VE BEEN HAD!

Either way, I'd like a flag redesign.

Why did you think that? I mean, the Yanks always pay them out about having pictures of the Queen everywhere

You know, I think I was just getting it mixed up with the flag redesign debate, because some people think that removing the Union Jack from our flag also means becoming a republic, and Canada was always the biggest example in retort.

I'd be happy with either the Aboriginal or Eureka Cross as a new flag design, or something original all together. There are other ways of representing our past connections to the UK in our flag without giving over 1/4 of ours for theirs.  

[Lynx Raven Raide]

WellzY

Lynx Raven Raide

WellzY

I always thought Canada was a Republic, but you're right it's not.

I'VE BEEN HAD!

Either way, I'd like a flag redesign.

Why did you think that? I mean, the Yanks always pay them out about having pictures of the Queen everywhere

You know, I think I was just getting it mixed up with the flag redesign debate, because some people think that removing the Union Jack from our flag also means becoming a republic, and Canada was always the biggest example in retort.

I'd be happy with either the Aboriginal or Eureka Cross as a new flag design, or something original all together. There are other ways of representing our past connections to the UK in our flag without giving over 1/4 of ours for theirs.

I dont think it should be the Aboriginal flag, not because i have anything against them, but some of them have said it is their flag and they would be against it, so I respect their wishes in that. I would support the Eureka flag being used though.

Saw one that i would really like which was similar to the current except the background was yellow, the stars were green and it had the coat of arms in green where the union jack is now