Republicans should take notice of their leader, Malcolm Turnbull, who has just relaunched the republican movement. Among other things, he has called on them to agree on a model.
The fact is republicans are further away from such agreement than they were at the 1998 Constitutional Convention, where one side was only dissuaded from walking out by the constitutional monarchist leader, Lloyd Waddy. They were upset because of the tactics of the ARM.
When he was elected to Parliament, Mr. Turnbull told the Wentworth Courier (12 October 2001) that the “republic issue” was not really on his mind.
“As I said in 1990, no meant no for a very long time… There is no point having a referendum on a republic unless it can be won,” he said.
…four essential conditions…
“To have a successful referendum you need to have at least four things:
· overwhelming community support,
· bipartisan political support,
· a sense that the time is right, and also that
· the republicans have agreed on a mode.”
“I think it is unlikely that all those things will come into alignment during the reign of the present Queen,” he concluded.
Not one of the four conditions is present in 2013 – nor are any likely in the foreseeable future.