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Part III Themes, Ch.16 Republicanism

John M Williams

From: The Oxford Handbook of the Australian Constitution

Edited By: Cheryl Saunders, Adrienne Stone

From: Oxford Constitutions (http://oxcon.ouplaw.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2023. All Rights Reserved.date: 24 March 2023

This chapter discusses and evaluates the various approaches to republicanism in Australia. It first briefly outlines Australia's current monarchical Constitution, highlighting the textual ties to the monarchy and those aspects that confirm Australia's status as something less than constitutionally independent. The chapter then deals with three faces of Australian republicanism. It explores a number of manifestations of Australian independence that have shaped the narrative that has simultaneously advanced and retarded the republican debate. Afterward, this chapter explores the technical steps and alterations that have emerged with the republican debate in the late 1990s. It highlights key influences on this debate and in particular the quest for a ‘minimalist’ republic. Finally, the chapter briefly investigates the future direction of Australian republicanism.

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