20 February

Having been dropped from the Ministry, Senator Amanda Vanstone signals that she intends to pursue some issues “dear to her heart and Australia’s identity” after this years federal election. One of them is the Republic. Senator Vanstone favours the most minimal change with the Governor-General becoming Head of State (still called Governor-General), chosen by the Prime Minister alone. However, she supports a national debate about the powers of the top job and the method of selection and says it’s time for the matter to be raised again now that it’s nearly 10 years since the 1999 referendum. [“Amanda for All Seasons” interview with Paul Daley, The Bulletin, 20 February 2007]. Senator Vanstone resigned from federal Parliament in April 2007 before being appointed Australia’s Ambassador to Italy.