Referendum Waste

[Ben Oquist]

7 November 1999


Referendum Waste


Greens Senator Bob Brown, speaking from Nepal today, said that the waste of 
$20 million on the republic referendum would not have happened had the 
Greens’ initial proposal for an indicative plebiscite been adopted.

“Prime Minister Howard manipulated the whole process, but the other parties 
acquiesced when they all voted in June 1997 to defeat the Greens’ motion for 
a plebiscite on the simple question of whether Australians wanted an 
Australian to be their Head of State.

“By not allowing a plebiscite first and not allowing the supporters of broad 
constitutional change -- including direct electionists -- a say, a positive 
outcome for the republic has been defeated.

“The Greens will keep campaigning for a republic and a constitution for the 
twenty-first century, which recognise Indigenous rights and give the 
Commonwealth the power to protect the environment”, said Senator Brown.

Senator Brown is in Nepal, where he met the Nepalese Minister for Home 
Affairs as well as representatives of the newly-formed Nepalese Green Party. 
  He is travelling to Dharamsala tonight, for meetings with the Tibetan 
Government in exile, following his unofficial visit to Tibet in July.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com