Fed: Republic by 2010, summit told

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2008
Fed: Republic by 2010, summit told

By Maria Hawthorne, Chief Political Correspondent

CANBERRA, April 19 AAP - Australia will be a republic within two years if delegates
to the 2020 summit in Canberra have their way.

Summiteers in the governance stream voted three to one to endorse the ambitious target,
proposed by federal Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus this afternoon.

Delegates originally agreed to a 12-year target.

But when Mr Debus challenged delegates to commit to a shorter time frame, he was cheered
and clapped.

"I want us to say that we will proceed to a republic by 2010," Mr Debus told the 100
delegates in his group.

Asked for a show of hands, the summiteers overwhelmingly voted for the suggestion.

Stream co-chair Maxine McKew had earlier called on them to show more passion after
the original recommendations - which included a constitutional convention to revamp commonwealth-state
relations, consideration of a bill of rights, and releasing cabinet documents after 10
years, not 30 - met with a lukewarm reaction.

"I was looking out at all your faces ... I didn't see a smile, I didn't hear a whoop,"

Ms McKew, the parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, told the delegates.

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KEYWORD: SUMMIT NIGHTLEAD

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