Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/21309
Title: | Australian Democracy and the Compound Republic | Contributor(s): | Maddox, W Graham (author) | Publication Date: | 2000 | DOI: | 10.2307/2672177 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/21309 | Abstract: | On 6 November 1999, Australians went to the polls in a referendum designed to convert Australia into a full-fledged republic. Whether this would cause significant constitutional change was a matter of some controversy. Although a few commentators object to the formulation, the Australian polity is a hybrid of an imported British substructure, based on the Westminster parliamentary system, but significantly modified by reference to the federal experience of America, Canada and to some extent, Switzerland. Even before Federation in 1901, the Australian colonies had adopted aspects of American practice, such as elements of judicial review. The national constitution, however, which blends a federal system with parliamentary and cabinet government under a constitutional monarchy, has been controversially characterized as the "Washminster mutation." The referendum of 1999 was defeated partly owing to the fact that many thought Australia was in important respects a republic already - its "hybrid" nature reflecting the character of a mixed constitution so cherished in republican tradition. In any case, there was strong opinion that Australia enjoyed all the benefits of republicanism under the constitutional monarchy. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Pacific Affairs, 73(2), p. 193-207 | Publisher: | University of British Columbia | Place of Publication: | Canada | ISSN: | 1715-3379 0030-851X |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 160602 Citizenship 160609 Political Theory and Political Philosophy 160601 Australian Government and Politics |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 940203 Political Systems 940201 Civics and Citizenship |
Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
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