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[jaydub]

Somehow, in my primary education days Down Under, I managed to miss any reference to a rebellion that occurred in 1854 against England.  It may have been that my school, being in the tradition of English Boys' Public education, didn't think that was something I needed to worry about.  Or I could have been considering the likelihood of getting my face pounded in at recess.  Regardless, a random messageboard post elsewhere implied that its likely that Australia will cease being a Commonwealth nation and become an independent republic - and that when that comes to pass the Union Jack in the canton will be replaced by the Eureka Stockade banner, thus:


It seems to me the overall design would be sort of redundant then, since the Southern Cross is already on the fly of the flag - but anyway, has anyone heard of the Aussies really being serious about independence?

[Arachno-capitalist]

Somehow, in my primary education days Down Under, I managed to miss any reference to a rebellion that occurred in 1854 against England.  It may have been that my school, being in the tradition of English Boys' Public education, didn't think that was something I needed to worry about.  Or I could have been considering the likelihood of getting my face pounded in at recess.  Regardless, a random messageboard post elsewhere implied that its likely that Australia will cease being a Commonwealth nation and become an independent republic - and that when that comes to pass the Union Jack in the canton will be replaced by the Eureka Stockade banner, thus:


It seems to me the overall design would be sort of redundant then, since the Southern Cross is already on the fly of the flag - but anyway, has anyone heard of the Aussies really being serious about independence?

Hopefully they have better luck than the welsh. The welsh separatist parties don't really get much action in elections so far as I can tell from reading the news over there. PLAID CYMRU!

[Doc]

We had a referendum on becoming a republic nearly a decade ago now (or maybe even more) and it was defeated. The new PM has suggested we might have another one but I don't know how likely it is to go through.
While there's a definite feeling of independance from england here it's not really rabid enough thatpeople are protesting in the streets demanding we become a republic, as in most things I just don't think most Aussies care enough. Also it would mean we couldn't kick ass at the commonwealth games.
Also I doubt that would end up on our flag, at least I hope not.

Shame on you for not knowing about the stockade though Jaydub, but then I guess I was being educated in melbourne around that age and it happened near there so it's a bit more into their local history.

[jaydub]

Consider me chastened.  I know all about Ned Kelly though!

[linnea]

jay, do you still have Australian citizenship, or did you relinquish it to become American as a kid?

[AugustWest]

Consider me chastened.  I know all about Ned Kelly though!

Hey, I just read a book about him!

[linnea]

Hey, I just read a book about him!

One of my friends is studying in Canberra and was tellin' us about him. Craaaaazy. He also told us about the Aussie guy who murdered tons of hitchhikers and buried them in a national forest.

[jaydub]

jay, do you still have Australian citizenship, or did you relinquish it to become American as a kid?

Its kind of a gray area in my life.  I was born in the US, moved there as a 4-year old and was technically there long enough to become naturalised - but no paper was ever filed and the issue never really came up until I was an adult.  I suppose if I ever decided to take a job there I would owe penalties for skipping elections over the last 20 years.

[AlohaDawg]

Heath Ledger played Ned Kelly in 2003

Its kind of a gray area in my life.  I was born in the US, moved there as a 4-year old and was technically there long enough to become naturalised - but no paper was ever filed and the issue never really came up until I was an adult.  I suppose if I ever decided to take a job there I would owe penalties for skipping elections over the last 20 years.

So, voting is compulsory? That sucks.

Also, could someone lay out for me how commonwealth nations are dependent on the Crown? I don't understand it. Y'all have your own elected officials, militaries, and laws, right? How would independence change things for you?

[Doc]

Well that's kind of the argument against it I guess.
It's (more or less) a purely ceremonial thing. That said we do still have a Governer General, this is a position appointed by the Prime Minister but who acts as a representative of the Queen. In theory they are the ones who allow a Prime Minister to form government and can dissolve a parliament/dismiss a prime minister etc. It's kind of like a president but if their only job was to keep tabs on congress rather than being the leader of the country.
Actually when I said it's just ceremonial that wasn't entirely true, Australia's prime minister Gough Whitlam was dismissed by the GG back in the late 70s, so there are real world powers there, they are just rarely exercised.

[jaydub]

It looks like being Australia's PM is less corrosive to one's health than being the President of the US.  Whitlam's still alive (contemporary of Gerald Ford), as are all four of his successors and the new guy.

[oball]

So, voting is compulsory? That sucks.

Voting itself isn't compulsory.  It's compulsory to turn up to a polling booth on election day and get your name crossed off the electoral roll.  You don't have to actually vote.  Anyway, I think that having compulsory voting tends to make the average person more politically aware, because if you have to walk to a polling booth, hey, you may as well make your vote count instead of turning in a blank ballot or donkey voting.  Even if you don't show up they only fine you like fifty bucks or something.

[Doc]

Yeah, I know a guy who moves town every few years and has never bothered registering to vote. They're not exactly the narc squad or anything in hunting these guys down.
Compulsory voting ain't so bad, it means the zealot crowd doesn't have quite so much influence though to a certain extent I guess it means people also think less about who they vote for.

[AlohaDawg]

Perhaps, but isn't attaching a cost to a non-vote the same as attaching a price to a vote? If a vote has value, don't you automatically make it susceptible to corruption?

[Doc]

I'm not sure fining someone for not voting is the same as giving a vote value.
Anyway it would be more accurate to say that it gives going to the trouble of hauling your ass to a voting booth and back value since how you vote has no influence on the fine so long as you do vote.