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Advantages of being a republic.. (2 Viewers)

Do you think Australia should become a republic?

  • Yes

    Votes: 14 53.8%
  • No

    Votes: 8 30.8%
  • Not Sure

    Votes: 2 7.7%
  • Don't Care

    Votes: 2 7.7%

  • Total voters
    26

Catspew

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i don't mind either way, but i don't think having kevin rudd on the back of our coins would be particularly appealing to anybody...

do we still pay taxes to the queen?
 

Catspew

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well he's the one who wants to change it to a republic... hidden agenda maybe?
 

incentivation

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spyro14 said:
I dont really see the point of the Governor General being the representative of the Queen. Apart from the fact that it has basically been the Prime Minister that has selected the Governor General since the 1930's, and that their roles have been almost purely ceremonial (exception being Sir John Kerr),file://\\
The first Australian born GG was appointed in 1931. Sir Isaac Isaacs.

Interestingly, the first Australian born NSW Governor, Sir John Northcott, was only appointed in 1946.

I don't see a purely symbolic or ceremonial head of state as bad thing.
 
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Iron

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incentivation said:
I don't see a purely symbolic or ceremonial head of state as bad thing.
So you're...not opposed to a Presidency?
 

incentivation

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Iron said:
So you're...not opposed to a Presidency?
I'm torn.

I see the reasoning behind the move to a republic but I have a soft spot for our British connection and the connection to the past inherent in our current system.

If we do become a republic though, I would much prefer the President to maintain a ceremonial role and operate at a distance from Government. Our Head-of-State should be a representative that can be detached from the ills of government and the 'tarnished image' of politicians.
 

JaredR

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There are many Liberal's that want to become a Republic - Peter Costello is one of them.

Edit: A green and gold flag, chicky? - How tacky.

But then again, so is your new signature picture...:|
 
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ccc123

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Eh.

Is anyone alse entirely apathetic/ambivalent on this issue? Most of the time, I am really passionate one way or the other in politics, but with this I couldn't really care less....

Can someone that's either stongly opposed or strongly for the change justify their stance?
 

Iron

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well may we say God save the governor-general...
 

Kwayera

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Why does everyone want a new flag? I love our flag. It is Us. I don't think a new flag would inspire anything like what we have now. It has our history in it.
 

incentivation

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Kwayera said:
Why does everyone want a new flag? I love our flag. It is Us. I don't think a new flag would inspire anything like what we have now. It has our history in it.
For sure. Our connection to the past, our history etc. It is an important question though.

Would becoming a republic necessarily mean we have to change our flag?
 

Iron

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Yeah, I dont see how the symbolic union jack could be justified if we went to all the symbolic effort to take the Queen out of the constituion, whose power was symbolic anyway
Its days would be numbered
 

Triangulum

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incentivation said:
Would becoming a republic necessarily mean we have to change our flag?
not necessarily, although once we become a republic having the british flag in the corner of ours would be a bit stupid. but changing the flag is a separate issue. currently the flags act requires a referendum to change the national flag (although a government that was set on changing it could just amend the act to remove the referendum provision).

our current flag is ok but nothing special. red, white and blue, such original colours! there are some much nicer ones that got proposed in the late 90s. (if anyone wants to have a look, www.ausflag.com.au has a lot of them.)
 

wuddie

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we had a debate about this at uni the other day. i think i had a pretty valid point to all those who want a republic - what exactly have we improved by adopting a republic and abolishing the queen? we'd spend millions upon millions to change our flags, currencies and our constitution, all these for what? just so we don't look like we are on a leash?
 

Iron

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There, on the banks of the rivers of Babylon, we wept as we remembered Zion.
 

KFunk

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Kwayera said:
Why does everyone want a new flag? I love our flag. It is Us. I don't think a new flag would inspire anything like what we have now. It has our history in it.
Haha, it just hit me that a whole lot of (psuedo-?) nationalists w/ flag tattoos are going to become stuck with a symbol of our imperialistic beginnings.
 

banco55

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KFunk said:
Haha, it just hit me that a whole lot of (psuedo-?) nationalists w/ flag tattoos are going to become stuck with a symbol of our imperialistic beginnings.
Haha, it just hit me that a lot of (psuedo-?) sophisticates don't like the flag because they have a black arm band view of Australian history. Hopefully when they leave uni they will grow out of it and realize that there's a lot to be said for keeping the flag that our grandfathers etc. fought under. Not to mention acknowledging our links with the country that gave the world shakespeare, newton, adam smith etc. isn't such a bad thing.
 

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