Republicanism in Australia is a movement to change Australia's status as a constitutional monarchy to a republican form of government. Such sentiments have been expressed in Australia from before federation onward to the present, wherein modern arguments focus on abolishing the Australian monarchy.
A central argument made by Australian republicans is that, as Australia is an independent country, it is inappropriate for the same person to be the h...
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Republicanism in Australia is a movement to change Australia's status as a constitutional monarchy to a republican form of government. Such sentiments have been expressed in Australia from before federation onward to the present, wherein modern arguments focus on abolishing the Australian monarchy.
A central argument made by Australian republicans is that, as Australia is an independent country, it is inappropriate for the same person to be the head of state of more than one country. Republicans argue that a person who is resident primarily in another country cannot adequately represent Australia, either to itself or to the rest of the world. Former Chief Justice Gerard Brennan stated that "so long as we retain the existing system our head of state is determined for us essentially by the parliament at Westminster." (The UK's laws of succession continue to apply in Australia, and may be changed by the United Kingdom parliament only with the consent of the other Commonwealth countries...
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