…then we’ll abolish the States…
The next big social transformation this country needs, after” we've” sorted out the republic, is to abolish the States, declares Mr.David Dale in his prominent “Who we are “column in The Sun-Herald on 17 February, 2008.
Mr. Dale has let the cat out of the bag. We know the flag is the next cab off the rank for the republicans if they were ever to get some sort of republic. Mr. Dale confirms our suspicions that the States are next on the agenda. We suppose this will include the Senate: if you don't have States, how can you have a State House?
We should be grateful to Mr. Dale. The republican movement won't even tell Australians what changes they are planning to the Constitution. They just want a blank cheque.
The fact is the republican agenda is clearly intended to make our country unrecognizable, something more like Argentina than the Commonwealth of Australia.
Our Constitution, one of the world's most sucessful, is to be well and truly trashed. The exceptional work of our Founders, led by Sir Samuel Griffith, is to be undone.
….fixing the republic is almost too easy…
“Fixing the republic is almost too easy,” Mr Dale says.
He should have told that to Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Keating.
All you do is to change the title of “our head of state” from Governor-General to title used in the territories, “Administrator.”
… “president” sounds scary…
He says the word “president” sounds “scary.” True. That’s why the ARM tried to have it removed, along with that other scary word, “republic,” from the referendum question in 1999.
And they claim John Howard fixed the question.
Mr. Dale thinks “ president” sounds as if the republicans plan to set up an alternative power base to the prime minister. But Mr. Dale – some republicans want precisely that result.
The problem is that the republicans are irreconcilably divided among themselves.
Mr. Dale’s administrator would be chosen by the government. The Dale model is more of politicians’ republic than the rejected 1999 model.
Sorry Mr. Dale. Polling indicates this ultra politicians’ republic is the most unpopular model.
Mr Dale says the next thing after getting a republic is to abolish the states.
He thinks there's no better time now. A Morgan poll predicts Labor would get 62 per cent of the two party preferred vote.
Why this should lead to an ultra poltician's republic and the abolition of the States is not clear.
We must assume Mr. Dale doesn’t spend much time out of the Sydney-Canberra Melbourne triangle.