Senator BROWN (3:54 PM) —I can indicate that the Australian Greens will be supporting the position put forward by Senator Murray, simply to allow this option to be discussed. The party policy that I have would end up with me not supporting it in the long run. Two years ago, I put before the Senate the very sensible option that we ought to have had a referendum before the Constitutional Convention on whether or not people wanted a republic. The convention then would have worked out the best means and alternatives for a republic, which would have been the subject now of the referendum. That is the course we should have followed, but the Senate voted me down on that occasion. We have gone down a far different path and I think it is too far down that path to alter course. That being said, however, Senator Murray is putting a strong point of view here which has a lot of support in the Australian community and it should be part of the debate at this stage. We are on the eve of a critical decision and I do not think any of the alternatives, particularly a popular one—that is, the popular election of the President—ought to be excluded from this debate. So I will be supporting Senator Murray's motion.