The Constitutional Centenary Foundation and the Politics of Constitutional Reform

Abstract

The likelihood of constitutional reform in Australia hangs in the balance. In particular, it is still uncertain whether 2001 will herald a republican constitution and/or other constitutional changes despite the apparent determination of the Keating government to promote an Australian republic. We await further government steps in this direction. The current political debate is complicated because it involves not only the Commonwealth government and opposition, but also two major interest groups, Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy and the Australian Republican Movement, state governments and oppositions, the Australian Democrats, apparently unattached individuals such as the Anglican Bishop of Canberra, George Browning, as well as a decidedly unusual body, the Constitutional Centenary Foundation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of constitutional reform. The central question is: under what conditions might constitutional reform come about? In one sense the mechanism is clear, by a parliamentary process culminating in a referendum conducted under the rules specified in s.128 of the Constitution. However, constitutional change has been so rare in Australia and so many attempts to bring about major change have failed abysmally that the dynamics are not at all clear.