Vice-Regal Saint: The Republican Big Con
By David Byers (Convenor of ACM in Country, New South Wales)
Since the defeat of the Republic Referendum in 1999, republicans in Australia have set themselves the task of circumventing the Australian Constitution and achieving their goal by underhanded means. Knowing that any future referendum stands no chance of being passed, they are pushing for non-binding plebiscites to achieve an in-principle support for a vague, undefined republic.
The question they would probably ask, given that it is their mantra, would be “Do you want an Australian Head of State?” This is a real motherhood type question designed, no doubt, to make any support for the Crown seem un-Australian. They will not even offer any details of what they want in their new constitution, let alone draw attention to the fact that the phrase “Head of State” was never written in the Australian Constitution.
If this plebiscite is successful it would, in effect, be a vote of no-confidence in our existing constitution, thus mortally wounding it. Then the politicians would set about writing a new constitution and putting it to a referendum. There would be no funding for the Constitutional Monarchist to put forward their arguments because, they would say,” the people have already voted no to the old constitution.”
This, then, is the Republican big con. I urge all loyal subjects in Her Majesty’s other Realms to be on guard for this type of deceitful republic pushing.
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5 comments:
Just a minor point for the sake of historical accuracy: John Howard first mooted the use of plebiscites at the 1998 Constitution Convention (in his opening speech no less), so it wasn't a "republican" idea. I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to why Howard did this.
Lewis, smart as always. I think you need to re-read my article. I am not arguing against the whole idea of plebiscites rather the misuse of them to con people in the way I have clearly stated in my article. Anyway you are not my target audience so it really does not matter what you think, I am for showing up republicans for what they are to those who might not have made up their minds and to add ideas to fellow monarchist.
Now does anyone have something sensible to add?
Very well then. I'll respond on those grounds.
The thing needed is a plebiscite that entrenches the monachy I wrote a post on this for this blog more than a year ago.
Hi Adams, A plebiscite to entrench the monarchy would never happen, remember politicians would control any question and they are, in the main, republican. Also we don't need any plebisite on this issue.
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