Keep up the Head of State debate, mate

Article by Natasha Stott Despoja
The Advertiser
16 January 2006

THIS week, in the leadup to Australia Day, a Mate for a Head of State campaign begins, highlighting the push for an Australian head of state.

It is one way of keeping the republic debate on the public - and political - agenda. Now, ascension to Australia's top job is based not on hard work or talent but inheritance. The debate about an Australian republic is about more than the principles of democracy. It is about who we are as Australians.

The notion that the success and stability of our country is in any way dependent on the rule of an absent monarch is ludicrous.

Benjamin Disraeli said great countries were those that produced great people. Australia is a truly great country. It is the actions of great Australians that have made us what we are today.

The republic debate is not about dismissing our history or traditions; it is about facing them. It is about understanding that our past is filled with so much for which we can be justifiably proud while acknowledging that for which we should feel ashamed.

We are not bound by these histories and traditions, other than we should learn from them and use them as a foundation upon which we can build an even greater future.

Our country today is dramatically different from what it was 100 years ago. No longer is Australia a distant outpost of Empire. It is a modern, stable and, most importantly, independent democracy with a diverse population drawn from more than 160 countries. The republic will give us the opportunity to find out who we really are, to redefine our common bonds and shared goals. We can add to our proud history by formally acknowledging the status and rights of the indigenous people, recognising their unique position as Australia's original inhabitants.

The republic will allow all Australians to have a say in how their future is to be built. It will allow us to move beyond our colonial past, beyond our mistakes and beyond our division. And do so with an Australian as our representative. I realise there is a perception that the republic issue is not a priority. One submission to the 2004 Senate Inquiry on the Republic, which was initiated by former senator Nick Bolkus and myself, stated there was a small minority who believed the issue had already been resolved.

There is another minority that never will accept that it is resolved until it is resolved the other way. And then there is the majority, more likely to ask what is on TV tonight. Perhaps this gives insufficient credit to Australians, but there may be an element of truth to it. Polls show that more Australians support the republic than oppose it yet, in the five years since 2000, support for the republic has reduced.

Those opposed to a republic remain - almost without deviation - at 35 per cent. So it is the uncommitted and unaware, not those opposed, who require support and information. We need to engage young people, not just because of votes and percentages but as a matter of identity, to ensure they feel engaged in the future of their country.

All Australians must have the information they need so they can show confidently their support.

We must ensure that people know that with an Australian head of state, sovereignty will have been placed into the hands of Australians, where it rightfully belongs.

Our political leaders have a part to play. As part of boosting the debate among cross party politicians, Nicola Roxon MP (ALP), Senator Mitch Fifield (Liberal) and I have launched Parliamentarians for an Australian Head of State. An Australian head of state offers the promise of renewal, a chance to acknowledge the role of indigenous Australians in our history and, finally, give them their rightful place in the Constitution. From this foundation, every Australian can be given the chance to shape the future of our nation.

* Senator Stott Despoja is a national executive member of the Australian Republican Movement and a former patron of the South Australian ARM.

EDUCATING ALL AUSTRALIANS Recommendations of the Senate Inquiry into an Australian Republic, tabled in August, 2004, included: An ongoing education program be implemented to ensure Australians become as informed as possible about the issues surrounding an Australian republic. This ongoing education program recognise the ethnic, gender and age diversity of the Australian population, and be inclusive of all Australians. The wording of the initial plebiscite question should enable Australians voting yes to cast that vote on the condition that a future plebiscite would be held, where the type of republic (prime ministerial appointment, appointment by Parliament etc) would be decided by a majority of Australians.