Our Identity As Australians

Duh · Guru

Our Identity As Australians

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Thanks for that Vic - interesting.

Duh · Guru

This link gives a bit more info Jules for those who are interested, if anyone is I would encourage you to submit an answer either for or against on the link or if a facebook user on facebook,

See this link for more info on the subject.

http://www.ouridentity.org.au/what-is-a-republic

Please note this is non political, members of all parties and their voters are divided on the subject either for or against a republic so am just suggesting if you want to have a say one way or the other do it on the link or facebook, your opinion counts whatever it is.

If you are not interested in this subject then just ignore this thread, we are all friends here and I don't want any ill feeling among us over this issue, but here is a chance to put an answer on the link or facebook and vent your opinion, for or against.

Cruising Granny · Guru

This topic was discussed on the Bolt Report this morning, and it's a complicated, expensive business which is not as good as it sounds.
While we're a member of the Commonwealth we couldn't be more independent if we tried to be a republic.

Duh · Guru

Hi Chris, Australia would still remain a member of the Commonwealth Chris, just as many Commonwealth member countries who have become republics have done and are still current members. So won't make any difference in that respect, including our participation in the Commonwealth Games, as the others who have became republics have done.

Being an author, I thought you may be interested in reading about this passionate republic supporter, Thomas Keneally AO, who is also listed as a National Treasure. He wrote the book Schindlers Ark, which was used to make the move Schindlers List, see;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Keneally

-- Edited by Duh on Monday 22nd of October 2012 12:23:11 PM

-- Edited by Duh on Monday 22nd of October 2012 04:54:44 PM

Duh · Guru

Wizardofoz wrote:
And the benefits and conversion costs are???

This link covers some of your questions, some things can't be measured in dollars and cents, there is a cost to most things we do, especially moving forward as a Nation. It is no good saying if it aint broke don't fix it, otherwise our caravans would be like gypsy wagons and we would be using horse and carts or still driving T model Fords..

http://www.ouridentity.org.au/what-is-a-republic#link_6

I would imagine that there would be costs but things would more likely phased in, like still using the old currency (with Queens Head etc) but am guessing that this would change as the older currency (notes and coin) needed replacing over time as we do know with our current currency, but I don't have a crystal ball. A lot of your questions can be answered in the link above, or contact them and ask them would be best.

Not everyone wants a republic, I understand and respect that, but a good majority do, the last referendum on a republic was only just defeated and was nearly a 50/50 vote, mainly because the republic camp was only allowed by the government to put one model forward for the referendum which some republic supporterd didn't agree with so voted with the monarchists to defeat it, if the public had been given more options to vote on it would have been a different story.

Things the republic camp have changed, they no longer use the title "president" which while it only meant using the title for a role similar to the Governor General, gave the wrong message that we would be like the Yanks, that term has now been dropped in favour of using Head of State instead for the role of the Governor General (the Queen is our Head of State, but the GG is her representative in Australia and if we did become a republic the GG would become the full head of state in lieu of the Queen).

I believe this is a personal thing for each voter and we either want a replublic or don't and if they have another referendum (probably in conjunction with Federal elections) then we will see what the outcome will be, it has been nearly 14 years since the last referendum. Another referendum might be a long time coming though, and also will depend on the government of the day if they decide to have one.

The main reason for my thread was not to convince anyone to be for or against a republic, but to let everyone (including those who want to keep the status quo) know what the lates moves are in relation to the republican cause. That way at least we are informed as to what is currently happening on this subject.

At the end of the day, the sun will still go down and rise again in the morning whatever the future holds and our beliefs....

-- Edited by Duh on Wednesday 24th of October 2012 12:10:56 PM

sandsmere · Guru

Thanks Vic .

It is very interesting stuff .

Wizardofoz · Guru

Mate, those two words "Moving forward" frightens me to death for starters. smile

Like every major spend over the past couple of years, now is not the time to again "unleash the purse strings", there is such a thing as the GFC which we are constantly reminded of when things don't look as rosy as expected.

I don't mind major changes, but make them when money is freely available and prevalent, you don't (or shouldn't) buy a new car when you are mortgaged to the hilt, if the current car does the job why make costly changes that in the scheme of things, matters little.

There is a time and place for everything, not just for the sake a whim and a prayer.

-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Tuesday 23rd of October 2012 01:26:01 PM

Duh · Guru

Money will always be tight and I would rather look on the positive side rather than the negative.

I can't see it happening in the near future though, and probably not in our lifetime.

If ever we do have a referendum again (ever), it will be the Australian people who will have another vote and decide irrespective of our own individual views whatever they may be. It would be interesting to see what the outcome would be, I wouldn't like to bet on it either way.

-- Edited by Duh on Tuesday 23rd of October 2012 11:08:06 PM

Wizardofoz · Guru

And the benefits and conversion costs are???

aussietraveller · Guru

I really think we are grown up enough to have our own head of state especially when I look at who the next potential king is, its time for a vote but this time lets ask the question fairly.

-- Edited by aussietraveller on Friday 26th of October 2012 04:51:53 AM

Wizardofoz · Guru

What actual role does the King, Queen or GG actually play in the way Australia is run and managed and when was the last time that any of them made a major decision over ruling our own government/s?...the sacking of Gough Whitlam is the only case that comes to mind for me, even that involved a parliamentary vote of 'no confidence' leading up to it.

I am not disagreeing...just asking what significance they really play in our lives and what difference a change will make?

Duh · Guru

Wizardofoz wrote:
What actual role does the King, Queen or GG actually play in the way Australia is run and managed and when was the last time that any of them made a major decision over ruling our own government/s?...the sacking of Gough Whitlam is the only case that comes to mind for me, even that involved a parliamentary vote of 'no confidence' leading up to it.
I am not disagreeing...just asking what significance they really play in our lives and what difference a change will make?

I think you answered your own question, they are irrelvant in a modern day Australia, so why hang onto them? confuse

By the way, did you get my pm?

Wizardofoz · Guru

I only just found your PM. smile

My question may be answered but the question I put to you hasn't...if they are indeed irrelevant, why spend multi millions to shuffle the cards?

Duh · Guru

I suppose it's a case of updating things Wizard, like all things amendments are needed from time to time including our laws, and currency (remember the change from LSD (that's Pounds, Shillings and Pence for your youngsters, not a drug, lol) to Decimal Currency? Change from the old inches and feet to metric, gallons to litres etc just to mention a few. (I still like the old LSD though and using inches, probably because I was bought up with it). And many other changes in the past, like our Constitution and at one stage a change to a new flag (from the Union Jack to our current flag).

There will always be a cost of any changes we make, but the alternative I believe is to stand still and live in the past, and whenver a changes is mooted there is always some excuse to say it is not the time now, do it later, and later never comes. I do agree with the world financial crisis it is probably not the best time, however I would support it if it were ever to happen anytime in the future, just my humble opinion.

Duh · Guru

Sigh..........yes, I think the generation I grew up in were great too, no drugs as freely available as today, could play and walk the streets without fear, a sense of values and fair play...the list goes on, a changed world unfortunately, even what was once called a typical Aussie has changed, more multi national Aussies today with mixed values of different sorts, but that is happening all over the world and we have to accept or at least acknowledge it as a new way of Aussie life.

-- Edited by Duh on Sunday 28th of October 2012 10:54:04 AM

Wizardofoz · Guru

After having lived through the best years of this country and the world (imho), I like yesteryear and the way things "used to be"...call me old fashioned if you like, but we and the world are not changing for the better and simply put, what we have today can never replace what we had in the 2nd half of the 1900,s...I know that it is rapidly changing, but as a place to live and grow up in - no way...we the baby boomers are indeed a blessed generation!!

aussietraveller · Guru

There has been the question asked what will be the cost of becoming a republic I presume people mean financial cost but what about the opportunity cost, currently I believe that Australia holds a good position in world standing but what about the opportunity cost of staying a country where our head of country is somebody who lives in a foreign country and one that we support financially every year as well as having the British Queen on all of our currency when we could be honouring great Australians and I dont want to see politicians on our currency either and the changes to our currency could be done progressively so no extra cost there.

A vote on this could be done in conjunction with a general election so minimal cost there, an interesting question for me is who is paying for a visit from Charles and Camilla to Australia I bet the wealthiest family in Britain are not paying.

I think its great that we have become a multi cultural country that is able to take people that are being persecuted in other countries we can only grow from this experience, and although I grew up in the Baby Boomer generation I think in many ways we are all much better off now than our parents were, we just need a legal system that has and holds to some real values and principals.

Duh · Guru

I think there are some who think (or thought) of them as hard drinking, hard swearing, beer swilling, pie eating hard cases who would fight at the drop of a hat.

Yes we had Ozzies from all walks of life, including Afghan Camel Drivers, Chinese and other nationalities in the goldfields, European migrants as refugees after WW2 and many others, including workers on the Snowy Mountain Scheme...

Including Raeffello Carboni, an Italian writer, poet and miner involved in the fight for miner's rights at Eureka on the goldfields;

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/raffaello-carboni-and-the-eureka-stockade/3433298

http://www.egold.net.au/biogs/EG00049b.htm

-- Edited by Duh on Thursday 1st of November 2012 10:33:15 PM

03_troopy · Guru

Duh wrote:
Sigh..........yes, I think the generation I grew up in were great too, no drugs as freely available as today, could play and walk the streets without fear, a sense of values and fair play...the list goes on, a changed world unfortunately, even what was once called a typical Aussie has changed, more multi national Aussies today with mixed values of different sorts, but that is happening all over the world and we have to accept or at least acknowledge it as a new way of Aussie life.

-- Edited by Duh on Sunday 28th of October 2012 10:54:04 AM

The typical Aussie always has been multicultural (well as far back as a couple of hundred years or so), albeit mainly Anglo European. But where I grew up to my teenage years in Georges Hall we had all sorts in the neighbourhood. Not too many asian or middle eastern I must admit.