-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Friday, 5 February 1999 12:27 Subject: RE: Herald article - Reith and Republic >[AA] >> There's an iteresting article in the Herald at >> http://www.smh.com.au/news/9902/04/national/national10.html >> about Reith's >> support for a directly elected President. >> >> The interesting part? This: >> >> ---------------------------- >> >> The chairman of the Australian Republican Movement, Mr >> Malcolm Turnbull, >> played down the importance of the Reith opposition. "If Mr >> Reith feels we >> should move to an American system of Government, well he's entitled to >> express that view. But you have to face two facts: it's not >> on the ballot >> paper in >> November; secondly, it's highly improbable that it would ever >> be on the ballot >> paper." >> >> ---------------------------- >> >> In light of continual surveys showing that we (as a whole) >> tend to support >> a President we elect ourselves, does this not show absolute >> contempt by the >> ARM for the people they pretend to represent? >> >> This is pretty much what can be expected from Turnbull's jingoistic >> flag-waving arguments so far, I guess, but why don't the >> other republican >> groups see it? >> >[LM] >that sounds like it's almost the opposite of the stories that the Age in >Melb have been carrying for the last couple of weeks. I can't give the >article or a web link to it. But the basic theme has been that arch >conservatives are going to run a vote "yes" campaign. On the basis that >the referendum when defeated will not bury the republic issue. But >rather will be a rejection of the ARM's model and thus a more radical >model will be insisted upon by the people. This I believe 'correctly' >demonstrates that the ARM have their heads in the sand if they think >that the Australian people have any interest in giving parliament even >more power. > >Luke >[LM] >that sounds like it's almost the opposite of the stories that the Age in >Melb have been carrying for the last couple of weeks. I can't give the >article or a web link to it. But the basic theme has been that arch >conservatives are going to run a vote "yes" campaign. On the basis that >the referendum when defeated will not bury the republic issue. But >rather will be a rejection of the ARM's model and thus a more radical >model will be insisted upon by the people. This I believe 'correctly' >demonstrates that the ARM have their heads in the sand if they think >that the Australian people have any interest in giving parliament even >more power. > >Luke > [JS] The problem is not just that the Australian people have no interest in giving parliament even more power, but that more and more Australian people are becoming 'swinging voters', of whom Rod Cameron of ANOP (in 1979!) prepared a candid private research report for the ALP, showing "they believe politicians are irrelevant charlatans, and that the country survives despite them." In the 20 years since then the 2-party state has come under increasing threat. Alan Wood's conclusion in his column in the Australian on 9 Feb called for "reform of an electoral system that makes responsible government virtually impossible." He didn't elaborate, so it wasn't clear if he's for or against entrenching the 2-party state, but it could be worth some letters making the opposite conclusion that 'responsible government' requires majority support, and that recent and proposed 'reform' of our electoral systems (state and federal) by collusion to exclude those opposing the 2-party state, is to sustain our system of 'irresponsible government' with even smaller minority support. Its time the 'responsible' media took up this democratic cause instead of parroting partisan propaganda. But how to do this? What about Albert's 'Quadrant coalition'? That would be impossible to ignore. 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]
