A reader who says he is undecided about a republic writes:"I understand that ACM, various groups and a Senate Report are supporting civics education for those of us who have little or no understanding of our Constitution – and therefore our system of government. This means most people – I have heard we are over 82% of the population. If we don’t understand our present system, how can we ever know whether any alternative e.g. republican system would be better – or worse? However, it behoves us – especially those like me who are undecided and need more information to assist an informed discussion, also to understand what the details of any proposed republican system are. Some time ago, my attention was drawn to a website, www.aussiecrown.org.au, where, back in June last year a Mr Ted Love posed eight relevant questions to the ARM in an endeavour to learn more of the details of its proposal.
These are just the sort of information I need to enable me to examine the aims, hopes and republicans claimed benefits for all Australians – so that I can compare them with our own system of government and be enabled to make informed decisions on this vital issue. So a few months ago I requested ARM’s answers and some of my (also undecided) friends respectfully requested also its answers.
To date we have had no response at all, which we find surprising. We then went to ARM’s web site in case it had published the answers there – but it had not. It did announce that ARM’s CEO Mr Ted O’Brien had been pre-selected as a candidate for the Federal seat of Brisbane and that, until the election, enquiries should be directed to its former head Professor John Warhurst [email protected]. We propose asking him for answers.
I have asked my friends to let me know if answers are forthcoming and I shall forward them to you for publication to allow examination and discussion about them.”
Apparently the ARM is unwilling or unable to answer Mr Love’s questions. So much so another correspondent writes: “ If a political party refused to answer questions from the voting republic about its platform and beliefs about matters of national importance, would you vote for it?”
Indeed.