Republic Now! Membership application
None of our political parties are serious about governance change. Even the Republic has been placed on the backburner in spite of obvious support for a Republic with a popularly elected President. The need for a governance reform party is very obvious. Australia's federal system is dysfunctional. The state governments are superfluous. The fiscal imbalance between federal and state governments is staggering already and growing. Local government everywhere is suffering as the most grossly under-funded level. The archaic inflexible constitution needs to be entirely rewritten. This is not something that can be done overnight of course. A strategic plan is required that should be introduced with extensive involvement by the public so that, at the end of the process, the Australian public owns the new Republican constitution. Can such a major change be expected from either of the major parties? There is no sign of that whatever. To the contrary!
Republic Now! is committed to:
- The creation of an independent Australian Republic with a directly President with symbolic functions and powers, without any further delay.
- Governance changes resulting in the replacement of federation by a two level structure of governance: national and local, with regional administrations indirectly elected forming a third mezzanine level; a reversal in concentration of executive power in two major parties.
- Governance change aimed at decentralising Australia, decongesting the metropolitan cities and providing excellent regional opportunities.
- Replacing the dominant single-member electoral district system with proportional representation - open party list system, a simple, inexpensive democratic system.
- Introducing the "Separation of Powers" principle in Governance. This means that the executive, legislature and judiciary shall be strictly separate as is the case in all parliamentary systems of Governance with the exception of the Westminster system.
- Developing a new Constitution for Australia within five years. To that end a New Constitution Council of ten persons will be established of whom no more than four will be constitutional lawyers.
- This New Constitution Council will also draw up a Strategic Plan for a process of plebiscites and constitutional referendums to achieve constitutional change. Such a staged process should involve constitutional conventions of citizens deliberating about specific aspects of constitutional change. The use of preparatory (non-binding) plebiscites is seen as vital for the successful carriage of subsequent referendums.
Visit the Republic Now! website for further information: www.republicnow.org (a new website is under construction)
Name.....................................................................................................................................
Address.................................................................................................................................
Home phone....................................Work................................Mobile.............................
Email......................................................................................................................................
Membership fee: $10 joining fee. DONATIONS WELCOMED
Your Signature .....................................................................................Date: ………………
Cheques payable to "Republic Now!" or electronically: NAB 082 936: 16032 5656
National contact: Klaas Woldring, 6 Tourmaline Avenue, Pearl Beach, 2256 Ph 02 4341 5170.
Email: woldring@zipworld.com.au. Others contacts to follow.
Republic Now! is not connected with any political party but welcomes registered and non-registered parties, Independent MPs and Independent candidates to adopt its limited platform as stated above.