Ms ELLIS(1.33 p.m.) —The people's constitutional convention to me is a very interesting conundrum. The Prime Minister (Mr Howard) claims that this is not an issue of first-rate importance to him or of first-rate importance to the Australian people. In a world of core and non-core promises, is it not interesting that this promise lands in the `core' basket of promises when it is second rate, according to him?

But, there again, as the Prime Minister himself has said many times, he is a monarchist. He does not see why the community wants to go down this path but, to give him some credit, he is now at least saying that, if it is what the community wants, he will not stand in their way. Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister!  It will be a difficult, costly and lengthy process.

One of the best comments that I have seen on the rate of difficulty and the rate of complication proposed by the people's constitutional convention was illustrated very well in a recent Pryor cartoon in the Canberra Times. I need to share this with the House. In this cartoon, there was your obviously supportive republican posting his ballot in the convention process. The obvious advice coming to him from the Prime Minister depicted in the cartoon was this, `Okay, next you have to cross Sydney Harbour Bridge on rollerblades wearing only a G-string and with this egg balanced on the tip of your nose.' I think that really puts into very plain language the sort of complicated process that the convention is about.

The real point is very simple. It matters not in the scheme of things at all whether I or you, Mr Deputy Speaker, other members of this place or members of the convention are supporters of the republic. What matters is what the people of this country happen to want. Simply hold the people's plebiscite with the simple question: do you want an Australian republic? Do you want an Australian as a head of state for your country? It is quite simple: if the answer to that is yes, you go ahead through the appropriate mechanisms and develop that outcome.

The sort of debate that we are hearing in the House today from fellow members is, I am alarmed to think, the sort of debate that we will hear through the country in the lead-up to and during the convention. There will be every diversion you can possibly think of. The people out there in the community who really do believe that it is about time Australia became a republic, who really do believe that we should have an Australian entrenched in our constitution as our head of state, will then have thrown at them things like citizen initiated referenda, compulsory or non-compulsory voting, whether or not a group of people appoint the head of state, as was mentioned by the previous speaker, the member for Wide Bay (Mr Truss), yet we are allowed to have a group of people decide whether we go down this particular path.

I am pretty alarmed to think that, after all the history of the republican movement in this country, this is not a new thing. It has been debated in our community in Australia for many years—for over 100 years. Previous speakers have said, `We will know when the time is here.' Let me assure you, I believe the Australian public knows the time is here. I believe the polls that are taken—not by the Labor Party, not by the republican movement but by independent people—indicate that the community want to get on with it. Having an Australian as a head of state in this country entrenched in the constitution is what they want. It is what they believe in.

The diversionary tactics of a people's constitutional convention will only serve to confuse the debate. Every diversionary political tactic known to mankind and womankind will come into the debate. I should imagine we will end up with a very heated process. Those who believe in the simple question are going to have a lot thrown at them. I say to them, `Stick to your guns. If you really do believe that the time has come for Australia, that the republican movement is ready to come through, then hold your belief and go with it.' The Prime Minister is saying a very honest thing when he says that he is not in favour of it. He will not stand in the way but, I will tell you what, he will make it very difficult.