Only A Republic Will Fix This Mess

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The Chair of the Australian Republican Movement (ARM), Professor John Warhurst, said today that the Republic was back on the public agenda.
“The events of recent weeks have demonstrated that the Australian people have lost confidence in the office of the Governor General. The system is clearly broken and needs to be replaced. The resignation of the Governor General has not fixed the problem. No matter what happens in coming weeks, the Australian population will still be shut out of the process.”
Prof. Warhurst stressed that “Tinkering with the system will not fix it. The Government and Parliament should consult the Australian people on replacing the current broken system with a republic that is democratic and transparent.”
The ARM National Committee, representing members from all states and territories, has been holding a two day meeting in Canberra over this weekend to discuss the way forward for an Australian Head of State.
The National Committee endorsed the recent membership discussion paper The Process – what do you think? which investigates the best way to consult the Australian people on their preferences for an Australian Head of State. The process initiative follows on from the
ARM’s 2001 paper, Six Models for an Australian Republic. Both publications remain open for public comment and are available at www.republic.org.au
The ARM’s Deputy Chair Jason Li stated that “consulting the Australian public on these issues is the only way we can achieve successful constitutional reform. The ARM recognises that Australians want a say in establishing an Australian Head of State and we’re working to provide opportunities for Australians to engage in this debate.”
Allison Henry, a member of the ARM National Committee, stated that “Polls have consistently shown that the Australia people want their say on who their Head of State is. The Prime Minister won’t change the current system: the only way forward is to replace it.”


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