The debate over a Republic in the last thirty years has become one-dimensional and focused on removing the Queen of England as the Australian Head of State. Obviously there is no place for a hereditary position in the constitution of a free people. The Australian Republican Movement has limited their campaign and advocacy to this aim; but the history of Australian Republicanism is broader. Australian Republicans have been democrats (as opposed to plutocrats or aristocrats) as well as republicans; constantly seeking wider enfranchisement, greater political equity, improved political process and the eradication of arbitrary government.

The Success of Republicanism

When NSW and Victoria started making the first moves to self-government, the Australian Republicans of the time concentrated on expanding the involvement of citizens in the process of government. In contrast, the monarchists sought to exclude the popular voices, and add barriers to citizen participation. The most obvious of these was William Wentworth's attempt to establish a titled NSW upper house. It was defeated due to political campaigning by Australian Republicans, but unfortunately the NSW Legislative Council remained an appointed house until the 1970s.

The monarchists in the 1800s tended to be conservative, saw Britain as the mother country and all Australian legitimacy stemming from that connection; they were also often landed. This was the squatocracy's as Dan Deniehy called them. The squatocracy dominated the NSW Legislative Council for a long time, and helped establish the practice of nomineeism. Another non-merit process which Republicans like Deniehy and Charles Harpur fought against.

The Legislative Councils around the country were often skewed heavily to ensure that the popular houses, the Assemblies, could not over-ride the interest of the landed or propertied Councillors. This malapportionment and inequity was targeted by Australian Republicans such as William Lane who advocated one person, one vote. It is interesting to note that this has been a long campaign, and even today, Western Australian remains in the throes of a malapportioned Legislative Council.

In the 1930's P.R. Stephenson advocated that Australian growth, socially, culturally, economically and politically; remained impossible while Australia was subordinate to Britain. This has been the basis for late 20thC republicanism which has focused on eradicating external interference on Australian affairs, especially judicially, legislatively and constitutionally. The enacting of the Westminster Act in 1941 and the Australia Act of 1986 are examples of Australia ensuring its legislature and judicial can act without interference.

The hardest to change is the constitution, and as a consequence the Queen of England remains embedded in our system of government. The other area where Stephenson's philosophy has not been adopted is in foreign policy. The current Imperium is the United States. Australia followed the US into Iraq with the same uncritical blinders as we followed Britain into war in WWI and WWII. It was just accepted that because our "Great and Powerful Friend" was at war, then so were we. There was no debate about our own interests.

Twenty First Century Republicanism

South Sea Republic is now the most prominent place for the advocacy of 21stC Republicanism. The topics covered are within the traditions of Dunmore-Lang, Harpur, Stephenson. South Sea Republic incorporates the dual republican and democrat traditions, where a Republican Constitution is but one part in a system that has wider inclusion of those being governed. Where innovative processes such as sortition, ratification, crowd wisdom and even technology are debated to ensure a more perfect policy and political outcome. This is no different to Deniehy advocating the most advanced political technologies of the day such as one person, one vote.

Australian conservatives argue that the highest form of social order comes from a national purpose, and a national culture. The individual must subjugate themselves to this in order for there to be national prosperity, and consequently individual prosperity. Australian Republicanism focuses instead on the political structures and involvement of the individual in those structures. It is through this inclusive process that higher, and more perfect social organisation is found. Aspirations are discovered through the interactions of individuals, secure in their maximum liberty.

This is the goal of Australian Republicanism. Without maximum liberty, prosperity is impossible. Each liberty taken, and coveted by government adds an inefficiency into the process of prosperity. Without maximum inclusion only inefficient forms of social, political and economic organisation are possible.

Conclusion

Australian Republicanism is arguably the most successful political movement in Australian history. The Australian Republican tradition incorporates the Republican values such as liberty, rights, equity, merit and separation of powers while borrowing heavily from democrat and Chartist traditions to ensure the integrity of the political and parliamentary process. Republicanism has crossed partisan divides, and been a constant source of innovation in Australian politics.

In 2005 we find Australia largely free of malapportionment, appointments in popular houses, nomineeism, and other non-representative aspects of government. Monarchists often argue that Australia is a republic already, and there is no need to change anything. This is testament to the success of two centuries worth of Republican advocacy. But Australia cannot truly be a Republic until the Australian Constitution adheres to Republican principles.

Government suffers from entropy. Parties constantly seek absolute power by collapsing authority around them. For the Australian Republican, who is equal parts republican and equal parts democrat, the battle to ensure maximum liberty, maximum enfranchisement, freedom from arbitrary government and the integrity of the political process; is never-ending. Republicanism is an ongoing process, constantly seeking to perfect our social organization and moral structures through maximum liberty and universal participation.

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More Reading on Republicanism

• Republicanism
• Political Rationalism
• Dan Deniehy
• Charles Harpur
• Liberty
• The Individualist Streak in Australian Republicanism
• John Boston's Pig
• Political Rationalism
• Australian Republican Identity Politics
• Quotification
• Universalism in Australian Republicanism
• Liberalism, Civic Nationalism and Republicanism
• James Madison on War
• Is Australian Republicanism Radical?
• Copernican paradigm