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and it is FIFA we are talking about too! The smart option is AU-NZ but I can't see them using their brains. Too much politics going on that will be in the road of the minds
To their credit they have made it all public now rather than before when we didn't know who voted for who, but it is highly political. Our current feud with China will hurt us a lot more than people think. If China goes against us, members from in Asia, Africa and Central America with ties to them could be swayed to vote against us too.
 

The Victorian

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To their credit they have made it all public now rather than before when we didn't know who voted for who, but it is highly political. Our current feud with China will hurt us a lot more than people think. If China goes against us, members from in Asia, Africa and Central America with ties to them could be swayed to vote against us too.
I didn't actually think of the China stuff. Yep- now I can't see any chance we win then.
 
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If you’ll allow me a moment of indulgence....

LIVERPOOL ARE CHAMPIONS!

I’ve been following this club for the best part of 20 years now, since I randomly chose them watching the old Monday night PL highlights show on SBS. I knew nothing about the club, but in the ensuing years learnt about the history, the successes, the champions and the tragedies. I visited Anfield in 2009 (we lost) and I’ve seen them play twice here in Australia - once against my local team Melbourne Victory. I’ve stayed up late or got up early to watch matches. I may not be from Liverpool, but I feel like a scouser at heart whenever I hear You’ll Never Walk Alone. Not even Covid could stop us this season. Champions of England, we’re back on our ******* perch!!

Throw in the WWC bid winning overnight, and its been a sensational few hours on the round ball side of things!

Oh and also, I’d happily undergo a womb transplant and have Jurgen Klopp’s babies.
 
On the discussion of being able to watch sports on FTV, should a network try to bring back a Sport only FTV channel?
With the majority of people going towards streaming to watch shows and Foxtel, FTV tv is now only for live sport and reality tv.
I would like to see SBS do this, and bring a sport only network in. They already have the NBA, and the Premier League, they could bring in some international cricket. And hopefully do a better job at it that OneHD.
 
Massive W with the World Cup announcement, bloody poms voting for Colombia over us was pretty shitty though. Time to Remove the Union Jack from the flag I say. Maybe their FIFA rep just wanted some cheap 'headphones'!
 
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Goteem.
 
Only for the Union Jack part- I’m a monarchist

why tho - just so we can be a part of the Commonwealth Games, which hasn’t been relevant since 2006? :p
 

The Victorian

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why tho - just so we can be a part of the Commonwealth Games, which hasn’t been relevant since 2006? :p
We can still be part of the Commonwealth Games even if we become a republic (like India and South Africa)

It will cost a tone of money that isn't worth it. I hope this doesn't sound politically incorrect however it can be argued if it wasn't for Britain, Australia would not be the leading country that it is today with great infrastructure, a solid economy and the like.
 
We can still be part of the Commonwealth Games even if we become a republic (like India and South Africa)

It will cost a tone of money that isn't worth it. I hope this doesn't sound politically incorrect however it can be argued if it wasn't for Britain, Australia would not be the leading country that it is today with great infrastructure, a solid economy and the like.

Anything could be argued, it doesn’t mean it’s correct.

Our economy has grown independently of England, and our place in the Commonwealth is essentially symbolic these days.

You do make a good point though about the financial aspect but it costs a fair bit to maintain the current scenario plus pretty soon we’re gonna be spending a tonne of money replacing all of our currency to put a few face on it (Sorry, Liz.)

Become a republic wouldn’t really sever any major ties, it would just mean an Australian is head of state, meaning the overarching control is from someone here. Fair few independent republics who remain affiliated with the Commonwealth anyway.

With all that being said it’s far from my top priority of things I care about, but I see no benefit to the current arrangement.
 

rabbitoh21

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We can still be part of the Commonwealth Games even if we become a republic (like India and South Africa)

It will cost a tone of money that isn't worth it. I hope this doesn't sound politically incorrect however it can be argued if it wasn't for Britain, Australia would not be the leading country that it is today with great infrastructure, a solid economy and the like.
The problem is that Australia has outgrown the monarchy (in my opinion) - if we wish to be a regional power in the Asia-Pacific region we need to stand alone. I read somewhere that only 25% of Australians were born to Australian-born parents. We are no longer Britain's son, we've grown into a mature nation that is capable of governing ourselves whilst still respecting both our indigenous and British pasts and looking towards a fully independent future. I'm a republican, if nothing more than to see an Australian as our true head of State.

Full disclosure: 2nd generation Australian with Lebanese and British grandparental heritage.
 
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Anything could be argued, it doesn’t mean it’s correct.

Our economy has grown independently of England, and our place in the Commonwealth is essentially symbolic these days.

You do make a good point though about the financial aspect but it costs a fair bit to maintain the current scenario plus pretty soon we’re gonna be spending a tonne of money replacing all of our currency to put a few face on it (Sorry, Liz.)

Become a republic wouldn’t really sever any major ties, it would just mean an Australian is head of state, meaning the overarching control is from someone here. Fair few independent republics who remain affiliated with the Commonwealth anyway.

With all that being said it’s far from my top priority of things I care about, but I see no benefit to the current arrangement.

How would you (and other 'hard' republicans) feel if said president flexed his muscle and overruled parliament? I see no other 'pro' to republicanism other than a new flag and other superficial symbolism. That said if we could develop a constitution that limits the powers of the Head of State (and do everything to avoid an Erdogan in Turkey situation) to a minimum I'd be fully supportive.
 
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How would you (and other 'hard' republicans) feel if said president flexed his muscle and overruled parliament? I see no other 'pro' to republicanism other than a new flag and other superficial symbolism. That said if we could develop a constitution that limits the powers of the Head of State (and do everything to avoid an Erdogan in Turkey situation) to a minimum I'd be fully supportive.

At no point in the republican movement has the "President" had any more power than what the Governor General has now (basically just a figurehead). The only change that would happen in a switch to a republic is that we would not be tied to the UK and our Head of State would no longer be the Queen/King of the time.


Side note: I am more to the side of becoming a republic, but with a reattachment to the Commonwealth after (like India and South Africa).
 
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At no point in the republican movement has the "President" had any more power than what the Governor General has now (basically just a figurehead). The only change that would happen in a switch to a republic is that we would not be tied to the UK and our Head of State would no longer be the Queen/King of the time.


Side note: I am more to the side of becoming a republic, but with a reattachment to the Commonwealth after (like India and South Africa).
And I'd support that in a perfect world. The constitution would have to be a water tight. I'm too familiar with what's happening in Turkey to buy into it though.
 
How would you (and other 'hard' republicans) feel if said president flexed his muscle and overruled parliament? I see no other 'pro' to republicanism other than a new flag and other superficial symbolism. That said if we could develop a constitution that limits the powers of the Head of State (and do everything to avoid an Erdogan in Turkey situation) to a minimum I'd be fully supportive.

Not even that “hard” of a republican, like if I grow old in a monarchy it won’t really bother me.

But that’s common sense stuff, especially in a country like ours, to build a constitution that prevents blatant abuses of power, y’know, beyond the current standard cases of abusing power.
 
Lmao I remember my Year 9 "Should Australia become a republic" English oral presentation (that I proceeded to re-purpose for Y10 and 11 :p )

I think I contended that symbolically it would be great to rid the Queen as our head of state (I'm a huge history buff, love getting lost in dynastical family trees and the medieval quarrels of feudal lords), but really serves no benefit to us other than some sense of having belonged or been a part of something with history and tradition going back millennia I guess?

Several pieces of legislation have all but nullified any influence the UK had over the commonwealth (Australia Act 1975?? I think did away with the ability for High Court cases to be appealed to the UK Privy Council, pretty much we finally had our own self-contained legal system without following UK legal system precedent). So with that, the whole idea that it's symbolic goes the other way too, that it doesn't really affect us politically or legally, so it's kind of not worth going through the referendum process, minting new currency, etc, to go ahead with it.

But idk man, I think I'd prefer a Mad Max system of governance.
 
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