Perhaps Mr Carlton’s memory was damaged by an excessive amount of dye when, not so long ago, he descended on Sydney’s salons as a blonde bombshell, so I must remind him that the republican model voted on in 1999 was the one the republicans chose and used their best minds to design.
It is true – the question was defective – it failed to mention that the method of dismissal, unique in the world, made it easier for the PM to sack the president than his cook. But it did contain two words Mr Turnbull wanted deleted: “president” and “republic”!
It may irritate the blonde Bolshevik, but the Founders of our Commonwealth deliberately rejected the blank cheque, spin doctor designed plebiscite – they knew how it had been abused in the French Revolution and by the two Napoleons. They insisted on the people being consulted in a Swiss style referendum where the details are on the table before, and not after they vote.
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