Australia’s Terrifying Ties to Its Colonisers

Robyn Archer delivers the annual Manning Clark lecture in Canberra. She said playing Elgar at the climax of the film “Australia” is the best reason for a move to a Republic and comments that nearly all aspects of contemporary Australia display “terrifyingly deep ties to our colonisers”. She says the Republic is “a matter of survival” but won’t guarantee survival unless an appropriate national identifier is chosen by Australian leaders with authority. She goes for one simple question, then work out what sort of a republic it will be, and favours a republic with minimal change. She sees it important that the Republic continues our ties to Britain and the Westminster system and, most especially, one of our greatest riches, compulsory voting (note: compulsory voting is not part of the Republic debate; it is specified in legislation separate from the Constitution – WfaAR)