Model for an Australian Republic - Statement by PJ Keating, 13 January 2022
A structure for an Australian Republic built upon the election of a President by popular vote across the Australian states, would change forever the model of representative governance that Australia currently enjoys, with a Prime Minister and a Cabinet.
A model which has served Australia so particularly well.
The election by transnational popular vote of a singular person to a Presidency would witness all the current diffuse and representative power of a Prime Minister and of a Cabinet, channelled into one being.
And in that channelling, with the power of a popular mandate, a new President would render subordinate all other officers of state, including the current office of Prime Minister and that of the Cabinet.
In other words, a massive shift in the current model of power.
I do not believe and have never believed this to be in the country's best interests.
The primacy of the Parliament and of its representative nature is best preserved by having the Parliament appoint an Australian President by two thirds majority of both houses, voting jointly.
In this way a successful candidate would need the support of both major parties simultaneously to meet the required two thirds majority.
But importantly, in this model, the Parliament would retain its primacy and not see its power and authority purloined to an individual, who alone would possess the popular mandate and with it, the primary political authority the mandate would bestow.
Australian is in no requirement of a US style presidency with its grandiosity and propensity to throw up individuals of the Donald Trump variety.
Australia is safer and better with the diffuse and representative power structure it currently enjoys.
2022jan13pjkstatementmodelforrepublic.pdf