STATES provides the path to a logical, secure and understandable Australian republic

Thereafter and bilaterally STATES proffers a Constitutional Republic  

Two bodies of people may be registered from Australia’s population

 One from the nation: Which currently votes Australia’s parliament into Canberra

One from the states (state-in-turn): Which (s)elects the “Highest Office” incumbent (HoS)

Thus Australia’s Constitutional Monarchy may become a Constitutional Republic

People of the States might be represented on a “Council of States” to administer the selection in-turn of the Head-of-State and Governors of their States… A “Council of States” perhaps quite apart from undue influence or jurisdiction of the Australian or state parliaments.

 

 

As per 1998’s Constitutional-Convention-agenda-suggested Model

A Model-B Republic

of the Republic of the

Commonwealth of Australia

States Head-of-State Selection (STATES) Republic Model

 

Australia’s Current Constitutional Monarchy - In Republic Format

 “STATES” is a model of a Republic of the Commonwealth of Australia (NOT a model for the *head-of-state) mindful that referendum acceptance “in a majority of the states” by “a majority of the electors” is required to allow constitutional change to our executive and legislative governance.

Annulling-cum-replacing British monarchy… And having Australians appoint Australians as heads-of-state are the two-only basic requirements for Australia to become republic… Absolute minimal change.

Simply, Australia’s states as Australia’s founding colonies replace the monarchy as head-of-state source… And, in-turn, appoint accomplished Australians as heads-of-state… Thus satisfying both requirements.

Thereafter Australian governance below the Prime Minister would need little if any adjustment for Australia to experience seamless transition to a republic with its parliaments and Westminster system being unaffected.

Australia’s *head-of-state selection and all other matters are devised after such a republic model has been accepted at referendum.

Perhaps there is preconception or poetic justice in “STATES” as in 1901 states ceded national control to Canberra… Not national sovereignty.

  

STATES defines-for-referendum the shell of a logical and secure Australian republic and allows constitutional detail to be decided before a second referendum. (including ongoing amendment to Australia’s Constitution* ___ *as per Canberra’s 1998 Constitutional-Conference Communiqué)

All such constitutional change to receive referendum approval from the people of the nation… And the people of the nation’s states.

It is believed STATES can be prescribed as being strictly a-political.

Considered furtherance of 1901’s federation STATES is conducive to federal parliament… Minimalist in change to the status quo… And easily defined as follows.

 

To found a watertight Australian republic create the position of “Highest-Office”... Retain the successful parliamentary-status quo system and, using predetermined, gazetted and sequential turns, have states-in-turn appoint Australian-“Highest-Office” incumbents as heads-of-state for set, contiguous and repetitive 5-year periods.

 

a STATES republic...  

(1) Creates a statutory commonwealth post of “Highest-Office” having reserve powers.

(2) Replaces the British monarch with the head-of-state position “Highest-Office”.

(3) Requires states-in-turn to appoint “Highest-Office” incumbent for five-year periods.

A referendum on the above - Conditional on the below

(4) Head-of-state and the prime minister share and administer codified powers.

(5) Federal parliament/State-in-turn structured head-of-state appointment methods.

(6) Prime minister/head-of-state have codified powers… They may dismiss each other.

(7) Preserve federation’s constitutional equality of states in an Australian republic.

(8) Secure a republic within Australia’s founding-cum-federation constitution.

(9) Produce a status quo federation-style republic NOT a presidential-style republic.

(10) Devise “A provision allowing ongoing consideration of constitutional change”.

“Highest-Office” is a statutory posting-say-Advocate of the Commonwealth of Australia.

(or, or also, or perhaps – President of the Commonwealth of Australia)

 

Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653-1658... The first English speaking republic in the world.

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Model B .... of the .... Constitutional Convention 1998 agenda booklet .... says

“Head of State has significant powers, as does the leader of the government - eg: France”

 

Thus STATES creates the post of “Highest-Office” as Australia’s quasi royal-cum-presidential shared-executive position.

States’ Head-of-State Selection (STATES) Republic is a unique stand-alone republic which requires an Australian-born citizen to be appointed to the Australian Commonwealth statutory position of “Highest-Office” as head-of-state… Having a title as yet to be determined.

To Australians its Australian-born incumbent is Australia’s head-of-state.

Highest-Office” is a statutory posting suiting the suggested Model-B head-of-state in the Constitutional Convention 1998 agenda’s booklet... “Some executive power... There is both a Head of State and a leader of the government who share power.”.

With shared-executive powers vested in the position of “Highest-Office” Australia’s states provide in-turn the incumbents, deemed to be heads-of-state, to administer same… A head-of-state selected to this office by the Provider-State of the nation can never consider himself/herself to be more powerful or senior to the popular-cum-parliament-party-elected leader of the government… Nor foster power against that prime minister.

First STATES requires sovereignty to be bestowed upon Australia’s people and for Australia’s people simultaneously to empower and require Australia’s states to in-turn appoint Australian-born Australians as Australia’s heads-of-state to the unnamed-position of “Highest-Office”.

Australia’s states” does not mean its state parliaments _ It means State Councils set-up by individual states to oversee the appointment of their individual head-of-state in-turn.,, With perhaps a (permanent) National Council of states to administer an overall appointment and dismissal process.

 

It is in a federation or geographic sense a state’s turn to appoint a head-of-state is taken: At which time all such appointment and any other pertinent arrangement or process is relative to that particular state.

It is in a personal and demographic sense that people of their born, chosen or arrival-state participate in any appreciation or process determined to appoint a head-of-state… Thus any Australian could be republic-registered in any state and resident in any other… or abroad.

 

ANY Australian-born citizen is eligible to become head-of-state… ALL Australian citizens may in-turn-participate in whatever process is decided to appoint the head-of-state.

On reaching adulthood each citizen may enroll on an Elect-State-Of-Choice role… Enrolment is entirely optional and may be effected at any time during an individual’s life… Once enrolled a citizen’s Elect-State-Of-Choice enrolment is regarded as permanent… Alteration being conditional.

Any Australian-born citizen may have his/her name placed on any Elect-State-Of-Choice list as available as head-of-state.

A transparent, once-only, detailed, gazetted and nationally televised lottery decides a sequence-of-states-as-balloted-list as the established order in which Australian states shall provide Australia’s head-of-state.

These gazetted details are repetitive on a forever basis… In applying that sequence states will be referred to by the logical terminologies Provider-State, Elect-State and Standing-States.

STATES encourages improvement to the head-of-state selection process… With states constitutionally secure as head-of-state-providers, any parliament may propose alteration to any selection method to be put to referendum at an opportune time after endorsement by all parliaments.

Thus heads-of-state selection may be improved but head-of-state source (Elect-State process) remains as per the constitution

 (This provision to alter the constitution will consequently result in calling of constitutional referenda being no longer the sole right of an individual.)

Approved at referendum Australia’s states-in-turn appoint its heads-of-state… STATES does not propose any specific process but suggests each state may use its own individual method of head-of-state appointment or all may agree or be required to use the same method. This flexibility is seen as a strength in improving the republic.

In whichever case methods are to be approved by all states, federal parliament and by the people of the states and Australia at referendum.

“Highest-Office” is not a position to be filled with a view to political correctness, appeasement, sporting popularity or the like… Competence is paramount… Method of selection must be dedicated to ensuring worthiness of qualification criteria for appointment to this important position.

Each Elect-State has ultimate say in appointing its head-of-state-in-turn… But that Elect-State is to liaise with a permanent federal parliament department to ensure protocol, procedure and requirement are maintained… And with the Provider-State and Standing-States to maintain the spirit, integrity and betterment of the process.

Heads-of-state shall be appointed for a defined and an absolute term of five years.

Heads-of-state shall reside at Government House, Canberra during his or her term of office.

On a set day every five-years at a regular location some suitably qualified person or the retiring head-of-state shall swear-in the Elect-State’s head-of-state appointee… Nationally televised.

This is a ceremonial procedure only and is obviated by the pre-selected head-of-state acceding to authority-#.

At the end of a Provider-State’s head-of-state term the Elect-State’s head-of-state nominee succeeds automatically.

#-People and all states and all states’ and federal agencies are to legally acknowledge the Elect-State’s preordained appointee’s authority.

Each state retains its rights, parliaments and management of local affairs… Each to experience minimal alteration to its relationship with federal parliament… Each must consider adjustment of its legal standing… Each could perhaps become a Commonwealth.

With similar-to-the-current constitutional layout STATES provides separation of legislative, executive and judicial power under the constitution… plus… a solid base of nationwide support for the “Highest-Office” and its incumbent-heads-of-state because of states’ individual and joint involvement in the republic, federation, constitution and upper house.

In a constitutional crisis the states, as the republic’s foundation, and the people, as one sovereign Australian population, automatically provide a nationwide umbrella-of-the-states for the head-of-state no matter which state is the Provider-State.

States provide the people-backbone of that support which is reinforced by the demographically mingled Elect-State people throughout Australia.

 

Pray tell… What is the “umbrella” of a head-of-state selected by parliamentary process or by politicised direct election?

Federal Parliament, the Army, Unions, Students, Boy Scouts?

 

Alternately, in a national crisis, people of the states may decide against a head-of-state’s decision… As the appointment method was accepted at referendum the emotion of the issue would be confined to the constitution versus the government-of-the-day.

STATES allows both the head-of-state and the prime minister to, if need be, each remove the other… STATES to accommodate whatever constitutional requirement necessary in constitutional terms and ratified by general consensus.

However STATES maintains the prime minister selected by federal parliamentary-cum-political-party process holds a “real” job.

Being selected by State Head-of-State Selection (STATES) process so too does the head-of-state hold the “real” job of reserve powers.

Thus the power and process of constitutional-dismissal should be “real” and available to both positions.

People of the states, as a state, each in-turn provide the head-of-state… People of the nation, via federal government provide the prime minister.

Separate bodies of Australians for executive and legislative appointment.

Thus it is suggested that… Constitutional layout, similar to the separation of legislative, executive and judicial power under the current constitution, exists for executive and legislative appointment under a STATES system and thus “real” balanced governance is evinced.

Zealously safeguarding the constitution Australia’s head-of-state replaces its monarch, assumes reserve powers, performs codified parliamentary and all duties relevant to a head-of-state… Including ceremonial affairs.

A national figurehead the federation-style head-of-state holds a position comparable with Britain’s head-of-state and therefore has little to do with daily administration of the nation.

Australia is led and represented by its prime minister, the visible, active and actual leader of the nation and as such holds a position similar to the leaders of Britain and France… The prime minister and parliament control day-to-day running of Australia.

Thus STATES supplies a republic with just one leader… The prime minister and popular party-elected leader of the government.

 Potential rivalry between the federation-style head-of-state and the prime minister is seen as restricted and improbable.

Separation of powers and duties is mostly defined and/or codified.

STATES is a unique-to-the-world republic which can be seen to provide a republic system modelled on federation that will outlast any monarchy or republic of the world.

A simple and unwavering system enabling people of Australia’s states to understand and/or be part of a head-of-state appointment process STATES virtually provides certainty of approval by ALL AUSTRALIA’S STATES.

STATES is a model designed to win full referendum support of Australia’s people… Without that support and their votes a republic will never be won.

Valuing and involving Australia’s people as central to its people-republic, STATES virtually guarantees acceptance by ALL AUSTRALIA’S PEOPLE.

As a Republic of the Commonwealth of Australia

What Australia most requires is utmost support for its head-of-state

Such is a prime requisite of a secure republic

Such is a STATES republic

Yogi Marriott                                                                                                                    Yogi

 

 

The concept, preparation and this presentation of STATES is entirely the work of Yogi Marriott

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Yogi Marriott                                           CLAREMONT   7011   HOBART                                        January   2002

 

 

 

STATES is in accordance with Canberra’s Constitutional-Convention of 1998 suggestion of a head-of-state and a prime minister who share powers… eg. France.

STATES applies this sharing of power to our current Westminster system and adapts it further along the lines of the British monarchial system to provide a unique Australian federation-style head-of-state system.

      Australia’s states in-turn provide the head-of-state…

          Australia’s Parliament appoints the head-of-state…

               Australia’s people approve the head-of-state…

                  The prime minister is elected per current process

.

 

An advocate provided from the founders of the Commonwealth

A sole leader provided from the people of Australia

 

 

Shared-executive-positions titles might refer to

 

Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

                                                            or

President of the Commonwealth of Australia

 

President and Prime Minister of Australia

                                                                   or

Premier and Prime Minister of Australia

These suggested titles are just that - Suggested – They are offered here as indicative of the relative positions of the HoS and the PM.

 

 

STATES sees the HoS as Australia’s ADVOCATE and PROTECTOR

STATES sees the PRIME MINISTER as Australia’s LEADER

 

 

STATES is modelled on Australia’s federation of six colonies

But must STATES be likened to any system of the world it would be Malaysia where the head-of-state is appointed periodically by constitutional agreement: The Malaysian prime minister is elected on a regular basis.

Malaysia’s head-of-state is one of a number of rulers-in-turn:

Malaysia’s prime minister is effectively Malaysia’s leader.

 

 

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There is not in the world and never in history has there been a republic system quite suitable for an Australian republic.

Australia currently enjoys the world’s best system... A system that is, in fact, a Constitutional Monarchy… But is, in reality, a republic.

As for Australia, Britain’s monarchy borders on obsolescence and is in need of replacement... Which is simply what STATES does.

“STATES” replaces only the British monarchy.

STATES affords Australians vision of the future after a YES vote at referendum... A future almost identical with what exists in Australia but with a federation-style head-of-state... not an executive president … together with “A provision allowing ongoing consideration of constitutional change” as suggested in the Communique concluding Canberra’s 1998 Constitutional Convention.

Many issues have been raised during debate about becoming republic... Issues such as The Dismissal Procedure, Definition of Powers, Acknowledgment of Original Occupancy, A Preamble and more listed in that Con-Con Communiqué.

STATES allows for discussion and resolution of these issues and any others after a republic has been accepted… For STATES allows revision and alteration of the republic system itself provided federal and all state parliaments recommend change to the people… And Australia’s people “in a majority of the states” and by “a majority of the electors” accept that change.

Integral with STATES, calling constitutional referenda is no longer the sole prerogative of the leader of the ruling political party.

 

A States Head-of-State Selection republic is commended to all.

 

See – Writer’s Profile

Polls since 1999 show some 10% of Australians favour retention of the monarchy and therefore Royalists, “it ain’t broke/don’t fix it” people and the like are urged to consider a republic such as STATES.

Of course continue to support the monarchy… But consider as urgent the need of acceptable alternate… For the next referendum will bring a republic.

*******************************

And since this was written “it” has been “broke” and does need “fixin” – So, if a Royalist,  make STATES your second choice... Your alternative.

 

STATES in its embryonic form was envisaged some time before 1998’s Canberra Constitutional Convention but not put forward because the writer considered such a model for a republic would abound in the minds of Australians.

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This 72-year-old (born 1931) is totally content with his years of monarchy but concedes progress is soon to end that era.

However progress to a republic based on that contentment which in itself is a progressive format for a republic is indeed considered progress for Australia.

Yogi.

 

Revisited 3rd March, 2008

Website Uploaded 2003

STATES Devised 1998

Conceived Mid-1990s

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