Should Australia become a republic?

[Chard]

I feel we are concerned about who is in charge. Is it a PM or a popularly elected president.

Yet you're not at all bothered by having your PM and G-G decided for you or that the position of PM is mercurial enough that you have multiple instances of a PM serving less that six months in office.

Under a Presidential system executive authority rests with a single person, who is advised by a cabinet, and that executive sits for a minimum of four years. There's continuity, there's accountability. We're not worried about the Executive becoming to powerful because the powers of the executive branch are clearly defined and checked by powers held by the Legislative and Judicial branches.

Today it is clear. It is parliament that has evolved roles like the PM that maintains his power over parliament through the alignment of the majority of the members to his party and a whip that gets them to vote the way he/she mandate. Technically we don't vote in a PM he is selected by the party so he/she can be turned over if they do not perform. However in modern times we tend to vote for a party based on the popularity of the PM in waiting.

Yes, and you end up with situations where you have a PM that's widely hated, gets dumped and replaced by the same party, who installs yet another PM that's widely hated, just not as much as the previous guy. Rudd and Gilliard, anyone? Instead you could have elections for these positions so that executive authority isn't tied to who ever holds the legislature, thus preventing the majority from playing political three-card monty with your PM office.

How does the US deal with the conflict, if there is one, between the expectation of the policies that a popularly elected president has been elected to implement vs congress and the leader of congress

Easy. We have a system of checks and balances installed in our constitution that gives ways around that. If a sitting president does not like a specific bill that comes across his desk for his signature he can refuse to sign it, preventing the bill from becoming law through executive veto. Congress can bypass that veto only through a two-thirds or greater majority. If Congress makes a law that's blatantly unconstitutional then the Judiciary steps in and rules on it (The US Supreme Court).

If we don't like them or their decisions, easy. Don't vote them back into office.

who would be (I could be wrong) the equivalent to our PM.

You are wrong. The Speaker of the House is merely the head of the House of Representatives and wields no executive authority at all.

Who is the boss. Why not have one boss. Why two?

Just the one. The President of the United States is the head of the Executive, head of state, and commander-in-chief all in one. Basically take your PM and your G-G powers, put them all in one position, and then clearly define the role and limits on powers. That's the difference between a Constitutional Republic and a Constitutional Monarchy.

[Super Nova]

Thanks Chard.

Based on your response and would conclude that is Australia is to be a republic we have to go all the way.

Just replacing the GG with a president has the problems raised. We would have to adopt a more US model to ensure we don't have a PM and a president as some of the other ex-pom empire states have done.

That is a big change. One I would believe would not be excepted if for no better reason than fear of the unknown. Also I think Australians do not believe the US system is better.

[Rorschach]

For people worried about the Queen, etc.
I don't want an El Presidente.... I don't want us to be known as the Republic of Australia.
I want the PM recognised as head of state.
The GG role is superfluous anything he/she does can be discarded or rolled into responsibilities for the PM or others.
Simple change...
Everything else remains the same.

[Neferti]

For people worried about the Queen, etc.
I don't want an El Presidente.... I don't want us to be known as the Republic of Australia.
I want the PM recognised as head of state.
The GG role is superfluous anything he/she does can be discarded or rolled into responsibilities for the PM or others.
Simple change...
Everything else remains the same.

The Queen has been around for a long time and even she cares less what Australia does, but would be too polite to say so. She would probably clap her hands with glee if we changed to a Republic. I am sure Charles would.

We do NOT need a President AND a Prime Minister .... one or the other. Otherwise it is just changing "names".

I agree that we should have the PM as Head of State, etcetera.

I also think we should have Federal Elections every 4 years (at a set time) and that they should stay the entire term rather than change Leaders (like the ALP) and call an Election when they think the Polls are in their favour. I actually like the American way of only allowing the Head of State to be in power for ONLY 2 terms. It would work here ... and probably better.

[Rorschach]

I also think we should have Federal Elections every 4 years (at a set time) and that they should stay the entire term rather than change Leaders (like the ALP) and call an Election when they think the Polls are in their favour. I actually like the American way of only allowing the Head of State to be in power for ONLY 2 terms. It would work here ... and probably better.

Don't agree, especially after the last 6 years of labor.
Also I could do with another 12 years like Howard or who ever if they were a good PM.

[Neferti]

I also think we should have Federal Elections every 4 years (at a set time) and that they should stay the entire term rather than change Leaders (like the ALP) and call an Election when they think the Polls are in their favour. I actually like the American way of only allowing the Head of State to be in power for ONLY 2 terms. It would work here ... and probably better.

Don't agree, especially after the last 6 years of labor.
Also I could do with another 12 years like Howard or who ever if they were a good PM.

This is EXACTLY why Australia will never become a Republic in the next 50 years! Nobody will agree on anything! I'll be dead and will care less.

Australia ......... someone down the line will figure out how to get fresh water/roads/etc to Central Oz and then we can EXPAND and become an important place and not just "DOWN UNDER". That term annoys me. We have many many people discovering medical cures in laboratories around the country ... WHY doesn't the Federal Government allocate money for that? Australian Scientists have discovered MANY things but then the Yanks have claimed them due to our rules. We are made to look DUMB by our Government and this is wrong!

[Super Nova]

Well the US do big infrastructure projects that really transform the environment. Since the Snowy Mountain dams we have done fuck all.

LA was built by redirecting a river from over 200 miles away.

We just complain. Time to get smart and redirect all the water from the Blue Mountains west instead of letting them run into the Pacific.

[Rorschach]

Well the US do big infrastructure projects that really transform the environment. Since the Snowy Mountain dams we have done fuck all.

LA was built by redirecting a river from over 200 miles away.

We just complain. Time to get smart and redirect all the water from the Blue Mountains west instead of letting them run into the Pacific.

That's not quite true... there is Lake Argyle and the Ord River Scheme.
Personally I think we should flood lake Eyre and create an inland sea you could divert sea water from both the north and the South into it.

[Rorschach]

For people worried about the Queen, etc.
I don't want an El Presidente.... I don't want us to be known as the Republic of Australia.
I want the PM recognised as head of state.
The GG role is superfluous anything he/she does can be discarded or rolled into responsibilities for the PM or others.
Simple change...
Everything else remains the same.

The Queen has been around for a long time and even she cares less what Australia does, but would be too polite to say so. She would probably clap her hands with glee if we changed to a Republic. I am sure Charles would.

We do NOT need a President AND a Prime Minister .... one or the other. Otherwise it is just changing "names".

I agree that we should have the PM as Head of State, etcetera.

I also think we should have Federal Elections every 4 years (at a set time) and that they should stay the entire term rather than change Leaders (like the ALP) and call an Election when they think the Polls are in their favour. I actually like the American way of only allowing the Head of State to be in power for ONLY 2 terms. It would work here ... and probably better.

Prince Charles on lizards, snakes, leeches and love for Australia
* by: Charles Miranda with Wires London
* From: News Limited Network
* 3 hours ago December 06, 2013 7:51PM

THE Prince of Wales has praised Australia's "vivid natural beauty" and described battling lizards, snakes and leeches while travelling there in the 1960s.

Prince Charles spoke at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London after touring its new Australia exhibition with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall.

The show brings together 209 indigenous and colonial works spanning two centuries and is the first major survey of Australian art in the UK for 50 years.

Royal visitor ... Prince Charles looks at Sidney Nolan's painting 'Ned Kelly, 1946' at the Royal Academy of Arts...

Charles said: "I can hardly believe that it is now almost 50 years since I first visited Australia. I was deeply struck by the distinctive colours and light of Mackellar's 'sunburnt country'."

He told the packed reception he was "very touched and proud" to be the exhibition's patron and called the two terms he had spent touring the outback in 1966 "one of the most inspiring times of my life"

He said: "I can't say every day inspired my artistic interests, because countering goannas and snakes during hikes in the searing heat, and being covered in leeches which could only be got off by using a cigarette, never moved me to paint.

"But my love of Australia - Australia's vivid natural beauty, and its own particular quality of light - that's what I always find so fascinating - has stayed with me for 50 years, and is new each time I visit. "

The pair were led around by curator Kathleen Soriano and artist Shaun Gladwell, whose video Approach to Mundi Mundi - which shows him riding on a motorcycle into a vast Australian plain with outstretched arms - forms the opening of the exhibition.

They also met living relatives of artists Arthur Boyd and Albert Naratjira, who gave a painting to the Queen on her 21st birthday, and whose grandchildren Vincent and Lenie invited amateur artist Charles to come and paint with them in Australia.

Love of Australia renewed every time he visits ... Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, with schoolchildren in an art workshop at the Royal Academy of Arts where they visited to view the story of Australian art history which is currently on display.

The Prince lagged behind in the Early Colonial room, while Camilla, in a midnight blue satin jacket over a black grosgrain dress, forged ahead into Impressionism and Modernism.

Mr Boyd's grandson Alexander, 41, said Charles had made "very interesting comments" about his grandfather's work and had a "fluent exchange" about its meaning.

Mr Gladwell agreed he had been "very quick": when the artist explained his debt to Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, he said the Prince replied "Of course! But I didn't see you stick your legs out."

But Mr Boyd, a pianist who sheepishly admits he has campaigned for an Australian republic, said his grandfather would have "hated" the event because "he couldn't stand attention."

Later, pupils from Argyle Primary School in Camden showed off their imitations of aboriginal art, while Assia Lamani, nine, presented the Duchess with a bouquet of white flowers.

Eres Morina, 10, said: "She asked what was the whole point of aboriginal art. And my answer was that the point is for aboriginal people to leave their markings or their past and to show other people what kind of life they lived.

He said Camilla told her: "I'm very impressed - you're doing a brilliant job."

Tony Abbott will share a stage with Prince Charles at the opening of the Commonwealth leaders' summit.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/ce ... 6777437736" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Super Nova]

Well the US do big infrastructure projects that really transform the environment. Since the Snowy Mountain dams we have done fuck all.

LA was built by redirecting a river from over 200 miles away.

We just complain. Time to get smart and redirect all the water from the Blue Mountains west instead of letting them run into the Pacific.

That's not quite true... there is Lake Argyle and the Ord River Scheme.
Personally I think we should flood lake Eyre and create an inland sea you could divert sea water from both the north and the South into it.

What good is sea water?