.
Malcolm Turnbull, the leader of the Australian Republic Movement challenged Australia to take the next steps to become a republic by 2001, the centenary of Federation (Baker, p51, 1994).
The republican movement has since sought to replace the Queen and her representative, the Governor General, with a popularly elected Head of State (Healy, p10, 1998) Instead of the Queen appointing a representative on the Prime Ministers advice. The Republic Advisory Committee in a released document called "A Republic - The Issues in 1993 which stated a republic would require four major changes to the constitution: The removal of the references to the Queen, the addition of how the new Head of State would be elected, the new Head of States title, and what powers the new Head of State possessed (Republic Advisory Committee, p 4, 1993).
The movement faced (and still does) considerable opposition from groups such as the Christian Democrats (A Christian fundamentalist political party led by minister Frederick Niles) The Liberal Party, some factions from the Returned Serviceman's League, Australian Monarchy League and Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy. (Healy, p 36, 1998).
Monarchists have opposed the republic movement on the grounds that it is difficult to change the constitution, and that it would require over 70 changes. The republic advisory committee stated there would only need to be four. Counting the amount of times "Her Majesty" is removed and replaced with the new Head of States title does not constitute a change. It is merely substituting one title for another. A republic and the changes necessary in the constitution would further promote and enhance the sense of national pride we have to the rest of the world. Thomas Kenealy argued that Australia would be in a "contentious state of affairs" had Sir Henry Parks decided that Federation was too difficult. The constitution has seen no major changes in over a hundred years, so it would benefit Australia as a whole to make changes to it.
