It's broken so let's fix it.

Sounds like a stupid waste of money to me.

I don't care either way...but one thing I get fucking sick and tired of is Ray Martin sprouting his republic propaganda on this day every year like its ground hog day.

I just wanna see a boxing kangaroo as our flag, hey

How so?

Everyone talks about the republic debate like it's going to radically change our political system. It doesn't need to nor should it.

Here are some things that are broken:
1. We're still seen as an outpost of the UK (both externally and, clearly from some of the posts here, internally) even though our relationship with them really isn't as significant as it once was.
2. We pay large amounts of money for foreign royals to gallivant around the country. This includes private holidays they may have while here.
3. Despite being for all intents and purposes being "independent", a person born in this country can not possibly be our Head of State.

I don't fully understand the argument on it being "a waste of money", the amount of money it would cost would be a drop in the ocean. We wouldn't even change our formal name the "Commonwealth of Australia" as the term Commonwealth refers to the federation of the states rather than the "British Commonwealth".

Understand your argument, however "drop in the ocean" is relative to whether you want to focus on more important issues than who we call "Head of State" or not.

Not the republic, but the democratic Republic of Australia! If you dont mind!

http://abcnewsintern.tumblr.com/post/3308132906/the-australian-flag-should-be-a-bum-with-a-fist

The Australian flag should be a bum with a fist coming out of it

I support the idea of a republic but you can tell there's a lot of anti British sentiment underpinning the pro republic arguments, such as in the tone melbourne_terrace raised. Rather than being viewed as an opportunity to realise our sovereignty in formal terms and refresh our symbols to reflect our pluralistic multicultural identity many see it an an opportunity to whitewash Australia of its British history and ancestry and replace it with an indigenous one. The union jack or elements of it could play an minor role on our new flag but we shouldn't delete history just to appease the indigenous and we should be appreciate for the opportunities and values the British empire instilled in us. Cue for melbourne_terrace to go on a rant about how evil and naughty the British are.

^

You'd need more than one referendum to whitewash all of our British history. "Loosening" ties with Britain is a very valid reason to become a republic, please don't try and hijack this thread.

As part of my job I march around in a redcoats uniform shooting off a muscat in celebration of the British Raj, I get people to shout out "God Save the Queen" in my Anglican Church classroom under a portait of Queen Victoria while saying I am the son of an English free settler from South Australia (although I'm a Catholic of Irish and Aboriginal ancestory). I understand the British history and ancestory of the nation, and to ignore it would be just as ridiculous as ignoring Australia's indigenous history, or immigrant history as part of Australia's identity. But I am a believer in a republic, in a nation that is lead by its own people into the future.

How is Sovereign Hill?
Sovereign being the operative word in this discussion.

Well said by the way...

Bull fucking shit, passing off anti British sentiment as being pro indigenous is nonsense when there were plenty of communities in this country who got treated like shit by the British. If want to speculate on my reasons for being a Republican, I have two;

A) It's because my family from Australia are of Irish Catholic descent and have good reason to despise the Empire after the way they and their community got treated like shit both here and back in Ireland by British institutions.

and

B) I want a fresh start for this country, free of old outdated colonial ties where people perceive us as a southern UK and where any young Australian can dream of becoming the head of state, rather than it being reserved for those that are exclusive members of an antiquated privileged institution. The make up of Australia has significantly changed since the Imperial days and it's time we moved on from the ridiculous mindset that we are a simply an extension of Britain. The Queen and the Empire is now totally irrelevant to a lot of Australians now and will become more so in the future.

As for your other points. Whether the Indigenous People and their culture have more of a role is not a deal breaker to me (even if I support it). To ignore the history the British had on this country and replace it with an Indigenous identity would be silly, but there is nothing wrong in wanting the outdated imperial symbology and icons removed from our country which is now firmly independent and a sovereign state in it's own right.

TLDR I just want that stinking Butchers Apron off the flag and the royals fucked off.