Republic Versus Monarchy - part one, section three
Denial of Australian independence
To have an English Monarch as "ruler" of Australia is an impediment to our nation obtaining its own sense of full independence and true self-government.
A nation that does not have its own Head of State is not truly independent. It is ridiculous that the decision as to who shall be Australia's Head of State is made in another country on the other side of the world (Australia has no say in who the Monarch is to be succeeded by). Some maintain that having a foreign Monarch is of no consequence, as it is only a "symbolic ruler" - but then why shouldn't we be concerned about being "symbolic serfs"? Symbols are very important to people - evidenced by the heated debates over proposals to change the design of the national flag.
With so many activities of the federal and state governments, and their bureaucracies, being carried out in the name of the Monarch of the United Kingdom, it would appear that we are still a subservient part of the British Empire, rather than a modern independent nation.
The Constitution of Australia, itself an Act of the British Parliament, gives the U.K. Monarch, and its representative - the Governor-General, wide ranging powers over the Australian nation. This is especially spelt out in Chapter Two of the Constitution, whereby the Governor-General shall exercise the government of the Commonwealth, although there shall be a Federal Executive Council to "advise" him (Section 62). Section 61 says "The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative".
In fact, Section 1 of the Constitution specifically declares that the Federal Parliament comprises three parts: "the Queen, a Senate, and a House of Representatives", that is, a bill passed by both Houses of Parliament will not become law until the Monarch or its representative has assented to it (see Sections 58 & 60). Also, Section 59 specifically allows the Monarch "to disallow any law within one year from the Governor-General's assent". While, in reality, these provisions may not be used, they do indicate our "symbolic" subordination to the English Crown.
While we may see ourselves, in practice, as a sovereign nation, we are not truly an independent nation so long as we are shackled to colonial status. To achieve true independence Australia must remove the Monarch of the United Kingdom as it's "ruler" and establish a new Constitutional base for the nation.
Republic Versus Monarchy
Australian Nationalism Information Database - www.ausnatinfo.angelfire.com/~natinfo
