“In November 1997, Moreland successfully staged the first Local Constitutional Convention in Australia,” said Councillor Andrew Rowe.
As the debate about an Australian republic builds a head of steam, local governments are staging their own conventions enabling local people to come together to discuss our nation’s future.
In Moreland over 120 residents turned out to discuss the topics, ‘An Australian Republic’ and ‘Citizens Rights’.
Council went to some length to involve as many people as possible. Over 700 invitations were issued to people expected to hold a particular interest in the issues. In addition, Moreland’s Convention was widely advertised in the local media.
“Those who did attend provided a good representation of people in this City,” Councillor Rowe said. “Having former Victorian Premier, John Cain, as Chair of the Convention was also a great bonus.”
After introductory addresses from academic, Spencer Zifcak and lawyer and author, Jocelynne Scutt, participants broke into groups to discuss the issues in more detail.
As with the Canberra Constitutional Convention earlier this year, the liveliest debate centred on the means of selecting a Head of State. It was agreed that the preamble to the Constitution include reference to indigenous issues and a Bill of Rights to be enshrined in the Constitution.
Feedback from the Convention was highly positive. Moreland is now considering whether to hold another convention in the lead up to proposed plebiscites resulting from the outcomes of the Canberra Constitutional Convention.
“This would be a valuable tool for informing Moreland voters of the issues and implications of adopting a republican model,” Councillor Rowe said.
