This Change is a SAFE Change! [ what will not change? ]
In this referendum campaign republicans need to reassure many Australians that the model proposed is not only a important symbolic change but also a safe change. To do this we need to counter a deliberate monarchist scare campaign which seeks to mislead people by misinformation. In addition to misinformation about the model itself, monarchists are intent on convincing people that more will change than actually is the case by playing to fear and ignorance.Darryl Williams, the Commonwealth Attorney-General, has recently said:
- " The substitution of a President for the Governor-General and the Queen, and the removal of monarchichical references scattered through the constitution, would not have significant consequences for the day to day workings of Parliament or government."
- "It would not alter the current federal balance between the Commonwealth and the States.:
- "It would not give the President powers different to those of the Governor-General."
- "It would not create an office of President that is more grand or expensive than the office of the Governor-General. Contrary to some rather colourful predictions, it would not authorise the construction of a presidential palace."
- "It would not alter the Australian flag or the national anthem."
- "It would not mark a break with our tradition of stable, parliamentary democracy."
Canberra, 29 April 1999
[ don't be scared of change ]
Yes, it is true, the proposed model for Australia to become a Republic involves 68 changes to the constitution. But don’t be scared of these changes because:
- Most of the changes involve a simple change of the word "Governor General" to the word "President".
- The effect of the changes is to substitute the President for the Queen and Governor General. This change, while democratising our head of state, hardly affects the way our day-to-day democracy works; the system that has served us well is largely retained. As our Attorney General, Daryl Williams, said in federal parliament: "the Republic Bill would not greatly change the basic governmental arrangements that have served Australia so well."
- The line we hear from "no" campaigners about it being too easy for the Prime Minister to sack the President is rubbish! The Republic model we are voting on requires the Prime Minister to get approval for the sacking from Parliament within 30 days. This means it will be harder to sack the President in the Republic than it is to sack the Governor General in the current system - at the moment the PM can simply tell the Queen to sack the Governor General.
Don’t be mislead by monarchists. This debate is about having an Australian as Head of State.
Alex Blomfield is the current Co-Convenor of YAR NSW, and is contactable via his email,
[ ablomfie@mail.usyd.edu.au ].