Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

This is an important report on the Plebiscite for an Australian Republic Bill 2008 from the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, which heard evidence from a wide spectrum of Australians who are for and against the proposal that Australia should have an Australian as head of state. As shown by the strength of opinion polls that we are seeing, the feeling in this nation is that we should be moving towards a republic, and that was indeed the outcome of the Prime Minister’s 2020 gathering of Australians. It was the one proposal that was greeted with general acclamation last year. We have a Prime Minister who is a republican and a Leader of the Opposition who is a republican, and I think this is a great time—because the country has other problems—to be looking at moving forward on this matter.

The proposal in my legislation, which I do not want to pre-empt but which as soon as I can will be brought before the chamber for debate, is that there be a plebiscite held with the election next year, which is the cheapest option, simply to ask people whether or not Australia should become a republic with an Australian as its head of state. The committee proceedings lead to the inevitable conclusion, I believe, that the answer to that is yes. A lot of public thought has gone into this. The question may be adjusted, but it is the obvious next question to ask and the obvious time to ask it is at the next available opportunity. That opportunity is with the next election. If there is some fault in that reasoning, I do not know what it is. We should proceed.