The Australian Republican Movement Policy

An Australian Republic: Framework, Selection Methods and Process

 

Why a Republic?

An Australian republic is about Australia’s future. It’s about our shared identity and place in the world. It will have a constitution that reflects the sovereignty of the Australian people, so that any Australian citizen can aspire to the highest office in the land.

 

An Australian republic will embrace our egalitarianism and the concept of a fair go. It will acknowledge our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and respect its culture, with its timeless connection to the Australian land and sea. It will recognise and build upon our British heritage and acknowledge its gifts, including our political and legal institutions. An Australian republic will celebrate our immigrant heritage of opportunity and endeavour and its contribution to our national identity. It will unite all Australians behind an Australian Head of State.

 

The Framework

Much of the discussion about an Australian republic over the last fifteen years has been about selection methods for the Head of State and this has often overlooked the important framework that would support the final preferred selection method. The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) recommends the following framework for an Australian republic.

 

  1. Australia’s Head of State to be an Australian citizen.
  2. Australia’s Head of State to be a non-executive Head of State and to have powers like those of the current Governor-General.
  3. Australia’s constitution to have all references to the Queen and the Monarchy removed and replaced with references to Australia’s Head of State.
  4. Australia’s Head of State to be dismissed only by a significant majority vote of the Federal Parliament.
 

The above framework will ensure that our existing parliamentary and federal system of government will continue to flourish regardless of the selection method. The ARM fully supports Australia remaining in the Commonwealth as a republic, as are the majority of Commonwealth nations.

 

Selection Methods

The ARM supports the Australian people deciding on the appropriate selection method for Australia’s Head of State. Any of the following selection methods would work with the ARM’s recommended framework. These are methods that have featured in public debate over the last decade.

 

  1. Elected by the Australian people from a list of candidates nominated by the community.
  2. Elected by the Australian people from a list of candidates nominated by the Federal Parliament.
  3. Appointed by a two thirds majority of a joint sitting of both houses of the Federal Parliament.
  4. Appointed by a constitutional council of eminent Australians such as former Governors and/or Governors-General.
At present, polls indicate that a vast majority of Australians support the direct election of the Head of State in a republic. A number of options, including direct election, should be considered in the process leading up to the referendum. The ARM will support the selection method preferred by the Australian people and will campaign for it.

 

How to get to a Republic - The Process

The ARM recommends the following process for achieving an Australian republic. Each of the following steps should be combined with the public consultation and education necessary to ensure that Australians are fully informed and involved in this important decision about our nation’s future.

 

  1. A non-binding plebiscite on the threshold question of do you want Australia to become a republic with an Australian Head of State?
  2. A second plebiscite on the form of a republic including the selection method (following the full development of forms of a republic, including the selection method, by experts).
  3. A referendum offering a choice between adopting the form of republic approved by the second plebiscite or remaining a constitutional monarchy.
 

Our Republic - The People’s Choice

Our republic must reflect the sovereignty of the Australian people. The framework, options for selection methods and process outlined above will achieve this aim. The ARM stands ready to work with the Australian people on this important national journey.

 

 

 

ENDORSED BY THE ARM NATIONAL COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 2010