Terms of reference for the Senate Inquiry into the Republic are announced. Please note that the Committee has not yet called for public submissions – further updates will be provided on this website as they come to hand.
The Australian Labor Party will conduct a postal ballot in October to elect its next president and two vice-presidents. The ALP has 45,000 members nationally who can participate in the first election for senior office holders (reported by Mike Steketee…
Dr Pat O’Shane describes the Australian constitution as “flawed and grossly inappropriate”. She said that our system of government is not defined and that this is useful to politicians who manipulate people by keeping them ignorant about the constitution. She…
The Australian Democrats (spokesperson on the republic: Senator Natasha Stott Despoja) and the Australian Labor Party announce they will establish a Senate Inquiry to examine the best way for Australia to become a republic. The Inquiry will seek community feedback…
The Australian Republican Movement launches six versions of a preamble to a republican constitution by Australian authors – three are by women: Delia Falconer, Dorothy Porter and Leah Purcell. Not one of the six affirms and states “the equality of women and…
The Sydney Morning Herald interviews 50 “prominent” people, 14 of whom are women (click here), and asks them how the Governor-General should be chosen and their choice for the job. Women nominated were Lowitja O’Donoghue (former chair of ATSIC); Mary Gaudron (recently…
Speculation starts about who will be appointed the next Governor-General and how the Prime Minister should go about deciding who is to fill the job by using a broader selection and vetting process involving consultation with other people. There were…
Northern Territory Chief Minister, Clare Martin, announces another referendum on statehood. This will be preceded by a constitutional convention to which, this time, all delegates will be elected.
Dame Edna Everage, confidante of Queen Elizabeth and republican, proposes herself as the best person to take over as Governor-General (reported in Maxine McKew’s weekly column in The Bulletin).
