This may be of interest. It is from a newsletter: Western Australia
Secession 2001 Association (Inc.) ph. (08) 9444 9243.
To bring you up to date with the campaign: the committee discovered that the
secession referendum, held in 1933,had no record of having been completed.
In 1934 a Secession Act was assented to and tabled in the British
Parliament.
No decision to support or reject it was made. A Joint Select Committee
advised
that secession was a matter for the Australian Federal Government to decide
through a national referendum. Because this has not yet taken place, our
Association took-up the issue and petitioned the Legislative Council of W.A.
on
Wednesday 2nd December 1998, to recognise the 1933 secession referendum as
unfinished business. We are impressing on the W.A. Government that it is
now
their duty to make representation to the Federal Government to hold a
national
referendum to release W.A. from the Federation.
Regardless of what arguments have been put forward, for or against the case
for
secession, the Secession Act remains an acknowledgment of a successful
referendum and a democratic right to secede through the desire of Western
Australians as expressed in that referendum.
A further move by the Association is to have the proposed republic
referendum
treated as a new formulated Federation and not an amendment to the existing
one. This means that to form a republic is a new constitutional arrangement
where all the States of Australia need to be asked independent of each other
if
they wanted to belong to a new Federation. It would be an opportunity for
W.A.
to say NO! Whereas, in an amended constitution W.A. as a member state could
be
taken into a change on the weight of vote of the other States.
As an aside, I just finished reading: "The crisis of Global Capitalism" by
George Soros ISBN 0 316 84916 2. The book was just getting on the
bookshelves when his first prediction came true - the sinking of Brazil; his
next predictions are for Argentina to sink followed by Uncle Sam.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wednesday, 20 January 1999 7:07 PM
Subject: Interim Neither Executive
>After "consultations" the following have agreed to form an interim
>National Executive responsible for Neither until a democratic structure
>is in place (or the previously elected committee revives sufficiently to
>do something about it).
>
>Tom Brennan (Organizer)
>Peter Green (Web Content)
>Albert Langer (Research)
>Helen Murphy (Legal)
>
>We cannot claim to be in any sense representative but expect to be able
>to work together and with others to get something done.
>Criteria for inclusion has been willingness to work together and take
>the responsibility, previous involvement with each other and being in
>Melbourne for co-ordination.
>
>As of now there is at least some definate body to ask to take a decision
>and/or blame, agitate against, overthrow for things not done or not done
>right.
>
>Intention is to establish a democratic structure in a few months when
>there is a sufficient basis to do so from formalization of membership,
>establishment of local and project groups, clarification of ideas etc.
>
>Meanwhile we will simply take decisions and delegate tasks (including
>approval of local and project groups and co-option or removal of members
>of this interim Executive) by vote among the 4 of us through private
>email, phone and face to face meetings, with wider consultation/debate
>on policy issues through the public-list and other future lists.
>
>Each of us undertakes to carefully read messages in the public-list
>and/or a future members only list when established, to be fully aware of
>public and members comments and what is or is not happening. However we
>cannot guarantee to respond to, let alone agree with any such messages.
>
>Our basic plan is to develop a "Vote No" campaign for the Republic
>Referendum centered on demand for real constitutional change including a
>representative legislature based on full PR for the House of
>Representatives. This will need a serious national organization with
>local and project groups of various kinds.
>
>Developing the web site and related email lists towards a "Parliament of
>the Net" will be associated with that, as will initiating legal
>challenges.
>
>Current priorities and responsibilities (each of which needs help from
>anyone willing to offer it) are as follows:
>
>Tom: Helping local and project groups to get established, preparing for
>mailout of newsletter etc when we are ready for re-launch, fund raising,
>establishing office facilities and roster.
>
>Peter: Updating content of web site and involving others in web content
>group.
>
>Albert: Working with technical group and legal group, providing some
>material for web content group and facilitating discussion in
>public-list.
>
>Helen: Legal challenges and getting others involved in legal group.
>
>
>
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