The ABC’s Dom Vukovic reports (17.12.16) on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s affirmation of his commitment to the ideal of an Australian republic and an Australian head of state.
‘Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has reaffirmed his support for an Australian republic but says the country will not support the change happening before Queen Elizabeth ends her reign.
‘In a speech to the Australian Republican Movement at its 25th anniversary dinner in Sydney on Saturday night, Mr Turnbull said the next referendum to make Australia a republic needs to be more inclusive and less confusing than the movement’s failed bid in 1999.
‘”Australian people need to feel like they chose the model,” he said.
‘”The clear lesson is that you cannot succeed in any referendum, let alone one that goes to touchstones of national identity, if the proposal is not seen and understood by the Australian people as one over which they all have ownership”.
‘Mr Turnbull used the speech to put forward his road map on how a new referendum should be presented differently, namely that Australians first choose how the president was elected, before that model was put to them in later referendum.’
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