Australian Republic Research Paper

When you think of the “land down under” you don’t really think of the kind of government they have. I chose to write about the Australian government because I really don’t hear much about Australia. It currently has a pretty interesting story to tell when it comes to their government. I became a bit interested in Australian politics when I saw a political animated cartoon on the internet that depicted Kevin Rudd, the last Prime Minister, on a news television show and it was quite humorous. I am going to give a quick history lesson on Australia then go into how the government formed and came to be. Then I will talk about the Australian constitution, the Australian arms of government, their federal system, political parties and Australia’s

As the Prime Minister of Australia, it is my duty to present my democratic nation with their elected desires. The current issue is concerning the movement of Australia’s governing system from a constitutional monarchy to a republic. I believe that Australia should become a republic, as our sunburnt country has overtime developed culturally and democratically since 1901 when we become the Commonwealth of Australia, and started living under the ruling of Queen Elizabeth the Second. We have created a place that is in no way similar to the British Empire. As Australians we respect and acknowledge the traditional owners of our land, the Aborigines. Over time, it seems as though we have taken this country out of their hands and handed it to the

In this referendum, 54.87% of the population voted in the negative to Australia becoming a republic. The result obtained through this nationwide ballot show that the overwhelming majority of Australian’s have chosen to not become a republic when presented the opportunity. Additionally, they contest that the current system of governance has effectively worked since the days of conception to now. So a system which has been functional and a major source of stability for over 116 years, doesn’t require any restructuring or overhaul. Another argument held by the right wing conservatives is that in being constitutional monarchy under the monarch of Great Britain we have gained many advantages such as important relations with the UK and other Commonwealth countries, these relations have allowed us to become the functional, strong and independent country we are today. Another argument held by the monarchists is that the cost of changing to a republic would be astronomically high. The previous expenses spent to run the 1999 referendums which was $87.5 million as well as the estimated costs of changing references to the monarchy in government stationary, letter-headers, logos, etc are estimated to go into the billions of dollars. Expenditure of this magnitude is currently not viable considering the

The political system used within Australia should be that of an aristocracy. This is superior to that of the democratic society we live. Today I shall be discussing what an aristocracy is and why it is superior to other political systems. Some issues being addressed are the values of equality, despite the classes within an aristocracy and the rights for the upper class or rulers of their society to be just and uphold the idea of society as a whole opposed to that of a democracy where individuals are favoured. This is followed by the cons of the other political systems and lastly the military and defence, which is presented in an aristocratic society.

On 27th may 1967, Australians voted in one of the most vital referenda in the nation’s history. The 1967 referendum is one of the many important key developments in aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples struggles for rights and freedoms .This is referred as the 1967 referendum which means a vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to change the constitution and is about Australians voting significantly to change the Australian Constitution. Requirements which

Australia is a Representative Democracy, which is an electoral system where the public gets to choose who represents them in both houses of parliament, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The people elect the candidates to which they would like to see who puts forward their interests and concerns. Those elected meet in parliament to discuss and make laws on behalf of the whole community. A translation of democracy means ‘the power of the people’ which comes from an ancient Greek and philosophical term. As a democracy, Australia has their own values and principles that are protected by the constitution and the law.

An instrument in the Australian political system that produces a fair and democratic society is the Federal Constitution 1901 because it outlines the powers and constraints of the Australian political/legal system. The constitution creates a democratic and fair society because as Judge Murphy describes, it allows “an equal share of power”, this is evident through the division/separation of powers. Moreover, Gordon Reid and Martyn Forrest support Murphy’s claims regarding the constitution producing a fair society because it ‘uphold[s] the highest ideals of political representation’. The constitution protected rights regarding democracy in s 41,7 and 24, thus producing a democratic/fair society. However, in regards to values and ethics the constitution had failed to produce a democratic and fair society in the past, because suffrage was only granted to non-aboriginal men. This was due to the values and ethic of the time period, in which it was thought that aboriginals were not ‘citizens’ and women not qualified to vote.

The republic is an opportunity to give a voice and shape to multicultural society, to define and express its democratic values, and to formalise our relationship with Indigenous Australians. By removing the monarchy, Australia will be forced to explicitly declare the sovereignty in its Constitution. Meaning will can finally recognise Australia’s history and declare the Aboringals’s prior occupation to the continent in the Constitution.

Throughout this essay, a comparison of both Australia’s constitutional democracy and the federal republic system in the United States will take place. Australia and the United States are both a part of the federal system. Within the federal system, the national and state governments divide the power in order to govern (Parliamentary Education Office, 2016). Both Australia and the United States have two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Parliament Education office, (2016) states that there are numerous similarities between these two countries, for example, both these nations decide on the making of legal guidelines for their government. However, Australia and the United States have different forms of government and this affects how the political system is managed. Australia is a constitutional monarchy, in which the queen is the head of the state (ABC, 2004), and the United States is the federal republic where the President is the head of state (Parliamentary Education Office, 2016). A constitution is a formal structure for the state and specifies the power and institutions of the central government and its relationship with different levels. Additionally, it expresses the rights of citizens and creates limits on the government (Hague & Harrop, 2013). In a republic government, the people and their elected representative have the power and there may be an elected or nominated president (Stevenson, 2010). A constitutional democracy and the federal republic

     Australia’s form of government has been described as a constitutional monarchy, in which the queen of England is the nominal head of state. In the federal government, power rests with the elected political party that holds the majority in the House of Representatives. The leader is the prime minister. The Senate consists of 76 members who are elected every six years. The House of Representatives has 147 members and they face elections every three years. Any laws that involve changes to the Constitution must be decided by a referendum in which the country’s citizens are called to vote on whether or not they want such changes to take place.

The piece Advance Australia … within reason, was conveyed on the 5th of January by Amy Mackintosh, at the annual “University of Students for Youth Political Activism’ meeting held at The University of Melbourne. Mackintosh steadily argues the reasons why Australia should not have become a republic, and how the country should stay as a monarchy. The tone of the speech is very colloquial and even sarcastic, with the middle part being more analytical and serious. The speaker gives the impression that the argument for Australia to stay as a Monarchy is unbiased and logical.

Australia, a country with a population of more than 22 million has quite the complex governmental system. Australia is known as a federation, a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy all in one. As a result, Australia has a queen, who resides in the United Kingdom, but is represented by a Governor-General in Australia. Following, a Prime Minister governs the country. In addition, there is a two-chamber Commonwealth Parliament that makes the laws. This diverse government is often referred to as the Westminster System. The goal of this paper is to examine Australia’s representative parliamentary democracy and if it is effective.

Australia should relinquish the British monarchy and become a republic. This advancement is crucial to establishing Australia’s independence from Britain which reflects on the ability to maintain a tenacious government rule. After almost 230 years under the watchful eye of the British head of state and Queen Elizabeth II, it is time for Australia to demonstrate its self-sufficiency from the British by instituting a republic government (Lewis, Balderstone and Bowman, 2006). Additionally, the monarchy does not reflect the Australian values of equality as the Australian head of state is selected based on hereditary male primogeniture and with Catholics being entirely unqualified. An Australian republic is crucial to involve citizens in their

The control that the government has on the citizens of this country has pushed its boundaries and should not be able to dictate out choices. This opinion article 'Limiting our freedoms' published on the citizensforcivilliberties.com written by Oliver Clements talks of not the benefits or negatives of the new reform but of the limitations put on the citizens of Australia, the roles that the government has taken to control us while making us believe that it is for our own benefit. It talks of the restraints that citizens are put under because of the select few that cannot control themselves. Clements does not agree with the new reform but not because he will lose money or that he wants to be able to bet more but because the liberations of the

The system of government in this country is based on the liberal democratic tradition. This kind of government is one based on the values of religious tolerance and gives its citizens the freedom of speech. The citizens also have the freedom of association which arises from the rule of law that has been put in place to ensure that no individual is discriminated against. The practices of the government and the institutions present in the Australian government are those that reflect the British and North American models and are seen as being uniquely Australian. Being a responsible government, it houses some of the oldest democracies in the world in the sense that it has the commonwealth of Australia which was created in 1901. This