Page 831 - Week 03 - Thursday, 25 March 1993
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We have taken values from European culture, we have taken values from North American culture, we have taken values from many other countries; and we have developed them into a unique culture and a unique set of values in Australia.
In terms of the way people regard their country and their national capital, it is wrong not to have a proper reflection of values that are now singularly identifiable with Australia, not a dominion of the British Empire or part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is important in the heart to regard the national capital as part of the national identity and as the national capital of a republic. At the moment Victorians regard Melbourne, the seat of their State Government, with greater favour than their national capital, Canberra. That is one issue which will be addressed in the declaration of Australia as a republic. National recognition of Canberra will be extremely beneficial and will demonstrate the increasing maturity of Australia.
The centenary of Federation is not far away. It will be an appropriate time to announce to the world and to affirm to ourselves that we have reached national maturity and have an individual identity as a nation. We are made up of people from many different backgrounds, as I have said. We are identifiable as a nation and we do not rely on institutions, nor are we tied to the apronstrings, of a bygone era. That does not mean that we should throw those institutions out. As I said earlier, we have developed some of those marvellous institutions, including the system of parliamentary democracy. We have taken role models from not just the United Kingdom but also other countries and turned them into something uniquely Australian.
It is time, Madam Speaker, that we grasped the nettle. It is time that the debate was held. I believe that it is time that we as the capital city of a future republic started the ball rolling in that debate. I believe that Australians are in a position to accept change and to foster change in this respect. We as the national capital should take a lead in bringing that change about.
MR DE DOMENICO (3.38): I rise briefly, Madam Speaker, to respond to the debate and the remarks made by Mr Lamont. Mr Lamont was almost playing politics. I will try very hard not to play politics. Madam Speaker, once again someone has uttered the magic words "Let us have a republic". Right away, every Tom, Dick and Harry - or is it Harriet these days? - has rushed into print to tell us how and when. I note that one Harry - Harry Evans, the Clerk of the Senate - has reminded us that Australia, and Britain too, already are republics, in the older usage of that word. But in the sense that today the word is being used by the modern day republicans, I want to ask why, for surely that question needs to be answered first.
This issue is not something that has arisen all of a sudden because of Mr Keating or Mr Turnbull or whoever. Even this morning I heard on 2CA:
The ACT could be an island in the middle of a republic if the New South Wales Labor Party gets its way, with the State Opposition -
the New South Wales Labor Opposition -
currently seeking advice on New South Wales becoming a republic.
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