The people should own a republic

Establishing a republic will require extensive involvement by the people to accommodate their preferences.

There is now a draft bill for a plebiscite before a Senate Inquiry, initiated by Senator Bob Brown, which would ask voters, "Do you support Australia becoming a republic"?

The use of non-binding plebiscites for important public policy and constitutional questions, rarely used in Australia, is to be highly recommended, for many democratic, media and educational reasons.

However, this single question is inadequate as it doesn't ask anything about the kind of Republic people want.

For example, do the people want a Republic with a strong executive President or a symbolic one, like the Governor-General?

Should the President be directly elected (by the people) or indirectly (by the Parliament)?

At the end of the process the people should own and know the Republican constitution.

It must be the expression of the people's sovereignty.

This can only be achieved by a series of plebiscites and subsequent constitutional referendums.

This first plebiscite is to be put at the time of the next federal election and will therefore cost very little.

There are over 250 submissions.

Mine is along the lines of the suggestions made here.

Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach