The word “republic” is vague and without detail it is almost meaningless. To Montesquieu, England was not only a republic but an ideal republic. Bagehot called it a “disguised republic”. Sir Henry Parkes said we were a republic, Cardinal Moran said we were the most perfect republic. We are in fact already a “Crowned Republic”.

The words “republic” and “monarchy” are not mutually exclusive. In February, 2008, a group of senior French politicians, from right, left and centre,  signed a petition warning against the "drift towards monarchy" in the style and policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy  (John Litchfield,The Independent, “Top politicians warn of 'Sarkozy the monarch',” 18 February, 2008; see also Robert Kimball Shinkoskey, Deseret News (Salt Lake City),  “America is turning into a monarchy,” 30 May, 2008; the US Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called the bush presidency a “monarchy”:” LIVE from Austin: Ask the Speaker,” Northwest Progressive Industry Advocate, 19 July, 2008).

Our constitution was not intended to be set in aspic, but it was designed so that proposals for change could be considered, debated, and, if ( as Founding Fathers Sir John Quick and Sir Robert Garran put it ) the people thought the proposal  “ desirable, irresistible and inevitable,” they would adopt it. In 1998, a Convention was elected and appointed. The appointees were ex officio and chosen. Of those chosen by John Howard, the majority were republicans. The convention model, the one overwhelmingly preferred by republican delegates, went to a referendum.

It was the very best model the republicans could draft. Strongly supported by the media and most of the politicians, and richly endowed, the people rejected the proposed change 55%:45% nationally, in all states and 72% of electorates. Now, the republicans won’t even reveal their plans about what sort of republic they want. Republicans now tend to say a republic will not occur under the present reign; it is unlikely that it will occur under the reigns of King Charles III or King William V.

It is certainly not inevitable!