A REAL REPUBLIC

Just as the ARM model at the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention failed to achieve a majority vote from the delegates so it failed to win one single state in the November 6 1999 Referendum. Even in Victoria where the Kennett government, the Bracks Opposition, the media and the Catholic church campaigned for a 'yes' vote, it failed. 

It's important that those committed to electing their own president rather than having a Kim Beazley or John Howard federal parliament foist one upon us, begin organising. Nor should we be duped into believing that a renovated ARM will as a matter of course offer us a republic in which the president is elected.  

Despite his strident criticism of the ARM prior to the Convention Tim Costello became a public ally.  And whilst it's true that he initially voted for a direct election model, when it came to the crucial final vote Tim changed his position and mounted the hustings in support of a ' yes' vote. 

Tim's public comments never really hid the fact that his support for a direct election model was problematic. His February 5 declaration, "....I am worried about direct election models.....with parliament at some level ratifying that (nominations) with a two thirds majority so that representative democracy is sheeted home, is the way we must be turning our minds......" indicates at best a reluctant direct-electionist.  However, unless Tim gives his unequivocal support for a republic with an elected president he should dispense with the label 'direct-electionist'. 

'Progressive' minded people are well aware that the community is disillusioned with contemporary political processes. But unless exhortations such as "I do fear that pragmatism may be winning.  And I do fear that if it does, if the dialectic of principle is not powerfully there luring Australians to actually see that we are about some noble ideas, then we may fail history...." as uttered by Tim (February 3 1998) are supported with deeds, they only further the disillusionment.

Given the manner in which pragmatism has decimated the status of the parliaments of Australia, it would seem blatantly ignoble to hand over the selection of our president to a federal parliament and some partisan committee.