Having read Ms Nicola Roxon in The Age of 1 December, 2005, I sent a letter to The Age.
And in response to Ms. Roxon’s challenge about the meaning of the 1999 referendum, I say that referendum is incontrovertible proof that the people of Australia overwhelmingly prefer the existing constitution to the very best republican model the leading republicans, the official republican movement and the republican political and media establishment could conceive.
This is my letter to The Age:
"Sir,
So Nicola Roxon,( Opinion, The Age,1/12) Mitch Fifield, and Natasha Stott Despoja are going to add to the millions and millions the politicians have already spent in trying to force feed Australians constitutional change.
They have announced a meeting in an alcove, which indicates how many they expect to turn up. There, they will put the question posed by all eternal adolescents:
”What do we want?”
To which the nation – if it notices – will answer:
“We couldn’t care less what you want-just get back to the job we elected you to do”
But the trio will still invoke that tired old mantra, “We want an Australian Head of State”
They would know we’ve already have one if they bothered to read the only book on this question-Sir David Smith’s Head of State, which explains this, definitively.
Everyone knows that the trio will not be able to agree on what sort of republic-so they won’t mention that. Senator Fifield wants the 1999 “politicians republic”, the other two now agree with Mark Latham that Australia would be improved by our having one, or perhaps eight, more politicians – just what we need.
The the trio will not be able to agree on what sort of republic-so they won’t mention that. Senator Fifield wants the 1999 “politicians republic”, the other two now agree with Mark Latham that Australia would be improved by our having one, or perhaps eight, more politicians – just what we need.
Conservative republicans warn that this will make the country ungovernable, with disastrous consequences to our way of life.
The trio can’t even agree on process. Ms Roxon wants to use that tool so beloved of authoritarian governments –the constitutional plebiscite. Our Founders rejected this in favour of the referendum. That is because a referendum gives you the details of change before you vote , and not after, as in a plebiscite.
But Ms. Roxon wants not just one, but two-costing over $140million. Conservative republicans say this is designed to get the last thing they want- an elected presidency.
So what was achieved in the alcove, but a waste of the taxpayers’ money?
Yours etc ….."
Until next time,
David Flint