Thread: Cultural Icons

Originally posted by Jock


By the way, do you still have PM in Oz? or have you moved onto a President yet?

We are still part of the Commonwealth, so we still have a Prime Minister. Gosh, he's (John Howard) over in NYC as we speak, don't you watch the news?

There was a referendum held a year or two back asking if we wanted to become a republic. The result was NO, but this was not so much because people want to still be part of Britain, it was because the model for the republic was rubbish. Most people felt a US-style government, where the president is actually the head of the governemnt would be best. They were only offering a president to replace our Govenor General (who acts as the head of state on behalf of the Queen). So the idea of spending millions just to make a change to the title of one person's role seemed pretty stupid. Plus the fact that we would not have been allowed to vote for the President under the proposed republic model seemed ludicrous.

Surely the people bringing the case against the Australian Government would have to prove that the Aboriginal cave drawings of the indiginous life were drawn as representations of themselves as a people rather than, for example, a game of pictionary because the were bored on Wednesday night. Which could be rather difficult given the lack of first hand accounts form the time they were drawn.

>>Remember this next time a US vs everyone fight comes up...

Hey, we did some very bad things to them in the past. Just as the US did to its natives (ie Wounded Knee) and to to other countries natives (slavery).
I would not mind the frivoulous law suit except we are paying for it, as all is done on legal aid.
"Let them eat lawyers" I say.

As to the referendum on getting rid of the commonwealth.
That was a farce from the begining. We were never asked the pelbocide (non binding question of constitutional change) ie "Do you want a Republic?") and then on to the follow up of what type.
Instead got a referendum (binding) (ie "Do you want THIS type of republic?") where the polies elect one of their own as the President, we have no say.

Howard, a traditional monarchist, set the wording of the question to get the outcome he wanted. Playing off the factions in the Republicans who wanted different types of a republic.

There has never been a YES to a referendum.

Sorry, here in WA there has never been a YES to daylight savings either.

I'm not sure that the change to daylight savings is actually a referendum as no change to the constitution took place afterwards.