Details of the 1999 Australian Republic Debate

HOW IT BEGAN The ball got rolling in 1993 with the establishment of the Republic Advisory Committee, which published a report called the "An Australian Republic". John Howard committed the (then) Opposition to a Constitutional Convention, which was held in the old Parliament House in Canberra in 1998, recommending the questions to be put to referendum in 1999. we are looking at a system where the country is governed by elected representatives, the House of Representatives and the …

…elected president would cost $45 million minimum each election It is far safer to stay with a proven system than to experiment with an untried alternative. 7) We will have to apply again to re-join the Commonwealth of Nations and any government could veto our application. The politicians, not the people, choose the President. The President won't be one of the common people, but a politician. There could be power struggles between the PM and the President