In reply to Interim Neither Executive message Omega wrote: 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. [JS] Yes, linking Western Australia Secession and the republic referendum could be very effective if it can get enough publicity. That means high profile supporters who can't be ridiculed or ignored by the media. Suggestions? Volunteers? Also treating the proposed republic referendum as a new formulated Federation and not an amendment to the existing one would allow NZ to be re-polled (as provided in the Constitution). This would not even happen unless the new republic restores all and more of the State powers usurped by Canberra. While no such draft will ever be submitted by Canberra, media publicity could make more Australians aware of the price we are paying since the original states agreed to a flawed constitution retaining the monarchic powers now exercised by prime ministers. The 'minimalist' republic is intended to perpetuate and extend monarchic powers, and its interesting to see the lengths its supporters are going to in order to stop direct election. It would be interesting to get NZ participation in the debate, specially since they have had time to learn to use (and abuse?) their new electoral system. Any readers in or from NZ? What do you think? Cheers Jim ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is the Neither public email list, open for the public and general discussion. To unsubscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=unsubscribe To subscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=subscribe For information on [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.neither.org/lists/public-list.htm For archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
