Letters to the Media

The Editor THE AGE

Nepal can, why can’t we

It is expected over the next day or so that Nepal will become the latest country to convert from a monarchy to a democratic republic. This will end the monarchy's 238 year reign.

We should applaud a small country like Nepal for having the political will to remove an unelected monarch and replace him with a duly elected democratic parliament. Unfortunately this has not occurred without some bloodshed.

All too often we see constitutional change associated with extreme passions and violence.

In the future, Australians will be asked about removing our unelected monarch from our constitution. We must ensure we do this with candour and in a positive spirit. I hope the monarchists among us don’t resort to fear tactics and hyperbole. I am convinced we can achieve a republic with Prime Minister Rudd's plan for two plebiscites followed by a referendum.

David McKenna 26 Garden St Williamstown 3018 M 0421 059 606 The Editor SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

The Governor - General just doesn’t get it

In free societies people vote. In Australia we vote for our federal and state members of parliament. We vote for our local body councillors and mayor. We vote in ‘Australian Idol’, we vote to evict housemates on ‘Big Brother’, we vote in ‘Dancing with the stars.’

The people of Ireland have just voted ‘No’ to kill off the Lisbon Treaty. The people of Ireland directly elect their president. In California, Idaho, Oregon, Illinois, West Virginia, Tennessee etc. etc. the people of the US have recently voted for their preferred candidate for the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates and in November they will vote again to elect their president.

But the Governor - General does not trust the people of Australia to vote for the president of an Australian republic. The more frequently stick-in-the-muds like Michael Jeffery voice their lack of confidence in the good commonsense of the Australian people in constitutional matters the greater will be the desire of the extraordinary ordinary people of Australia to have their say in having one of our own as our head of state.

Roy McKeen 2/20 Oleander Avenue Biggera Waters Qld 4216 Tel: (07) 55-29-38-38