What kind of republic?

New statements towards a Republic are lacking in credibility.

They are still premised on the concept of the Minimalist Republic: Replace the Queen by an Australian Head of State.

But Australians are asking increasingly "What kind of a Republic?" before they will commit themselves to that change.

A Referendum on a Republic without major additional changes, conceivably a complete rewrite of the Constitution, would produce the same result as in 1999.

Also why should Australians have to wait until the Queen abdicates, simply because the frozen Constitution blocks change?

Could the Government start a debate on why and how the Constitution could be renewed?

Apart from the very obvious shortcoming that it can hardly be amended, and then only on the initiative of the politicians, the federal structure of the state adds another major barrier.

Federation is a costly hindrance to effective Government altogether.

Right now the Government is even struggling to get consensus on the overdue Gonski reforms.

Australia's Afghanistan involvement was possible because the Prime Minister decided, without a mandate, without parliamentary majority of even debate, without a referendum or plebiscite, to join the US in yet another dubious venture.

The Prime Minister is not even mentioned in that Constitution.

What has happened to the reformism of the ALP so obvious in the Whitlam days?

An Abbott Government cannot be expected to initiate any system change at all.

Email, 4 Jun 2013

Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach