LIBERAL MP Jason Falinski has unconditionally backed an Australian republic model so flawed even his Left-wing political allies have monstered it.
The plan, to allow Australians to vote on a short-list of presidential candidates selected by politicians, was released earlier this month to cries of concern.
- New Australian Republican Movement model panned by pro-republicans & monarchists.
- Strips reserve powers while handing politicians unrestricted authority.
- Bob Carr, Paul Keating & Malcolm Turnbull (and others) criticise ARM plan.
Now is the right time to for the government to lead a renewed debate about leaving the monarchy, Mr Falinski said after the model was released.
The Mackellar federal MP is chair of a parliamentary group supporting a republic and is reported to have been in close contact with the Australian Republican Movement’s Peter FitzSimons.
Each State and territory parliament would nominate one individual, while the federal parliament would choose three, and the names would be put to a national election with the winner serving a five-year term.
The plan immediately came under harsh criticism from pro-republicans – most notably former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr as well as former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull.
“I don’t know how you can avoid a new head of state, elected by a drawn-out selection process at a nation ballot, thinking they’ve got a mandate of their own and superior to that of the prime minister,” Mr Carr said.
“It’s plain impossible to stop candidates from creating product differentiation by taking stands on policy.
“And then, once elected, they naturally have a claim on a mandate.”
National Convenor of Australians for Constitution Monarch David Flint said it was inevitable, under the ARM model, that an elected president would be “unable to resist playing politics”.
“The only sanction is for both houses to resolve to remove the president on the grounds of undefined “proved misbehaviour or incapacity”, Prof Flint said.
“But if the Senate agrees with the president, which is more than likely, a president playing politics will be unstoppable.”
Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League Philip Benwell has raised similar concerns.
“Electing a president means giving him or her a greater mandate than that of the government,” Mr Benwell said.
“The president will have been elected as president by the people whereas the prime minister would have been elected as prime minister by parliament.
“This could lead to a political crisis if the views and objectives of a president clash with those of the government.”PC
If Falinski wants to live in a republic he should go back to Poland.
ARMs model is a sensible suggestion, giving Australians a say on which Australian is our head of state, with appropriate safeguards and measures to ensure the role has very limited powers to be used on only very specific circumstance.
Gutless, grovelling suck-hole monarchists think an English aristocrat reigning over us is all we deserve. So no wonder they don’t agree.
Falinski’s life and career is a dumpster fire. No Australian political party has ever elected anyone nearly as extreme as he is. Communism is way too centrist for his liking.
Banana Republics are great. I think the President must self-select and swear themselves in. Just like Idi Amin Dada or Mobuto Sesi-Seko