Time to take the final step and become a republic

IN 23 days Australia marks its official National Day of Australia – a day to acknowledge the contribution that every Australian makes to our independent nation. But are we truly independent?

Keria Riley with an Austflag design for a new Australian flag minus the Union Jack on Australia Day in 1997. Picture: Marc Vignes

IN 23 days Australia marks its official National Day of Australia – a day to acknowledge the contribution that every Australian makes to our independent nation.

But are we truly independent? How far have we really come since 1788 when the British flag was raised at Sydney Cove?

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Australia is defined as a “self-governing colony” under s8 of the Australian Constitution Act 1900 – an Act of the British (not the Australian) Parliament. We have, however, moved away from Britain and taken charge of our own affairs. Is it time to make the final step and make the separation from Great Britain and the English monarchy complete? There is a growing sense that Australia should sever the link with the British Crown and become a republic.

There is unprecedented wall-to-wall support from our nation’s parliamentary leaders for this to happen.

An Australian Republic is about the Australian people being unambiguously sovereign in a truly independent Australian nation.

The Queen has always made it clear that the future of the monarchy in Australia is an issue for the Australian people. So there is nothing standing in the way of an Australian republic other than Australians themselves. In November 1999, a referendum was held on whether they wanted Australia to become a republic or not. The referendum was rejected. It failed to get a majority in any state.

It is time to have the debate again and grassroots understanding of such things as the difference between the president of a republic and the head of state of a constitutional monarchy needs to be properly explained. It’s been said we often fear change when pre-existing information fails us.

Arming grassroots Australia with the right information about what change will look like will be critical when the republican debate is truly reignited.