Sarah Brasch’s detailed analysis of ARM’s proposed “model” for the Republic, in reality a method for choosing the head of state. This may not even be a big issue by the time we get to the next referendum? WfaAR says that the model needs a lot more work to answer the many questions the proposal raises about how it would be implemented in practice. It is an imposed model. It may be ARM’s “Australian Choice” but it’s not the people’s choice. Details are few and there is nothing in what has been published so far to address gender balance of candidates nominated for President – or how to achieve diversity among nominees. As proposed by ARM, we could end up with 11 male, white Anglo candidates and that needs to be addressed. Read our commentary on the link. We conclude by saying that there’s plenty of time to have another go post election with the possibility of a vote some years away. We also note that there are 35 new members of the federal Parliament in the next term so things may have changed (see also News of 31 May about the appointment of a Minister for the Republic). Our article also covers the extensive range of commentary on ARM’s model from a number of souces including Indigenous campaigners, political commentators and constitutional lawyers with links. Back to you ARM!
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
