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ARM
MEDIA RELEASE
Only
A Republic Will Fix This Mess
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."
John Warhurst, Chair, 0439 498 283
Jim Terrie, National Director, 0411 240 970
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