Queen Of Australia?

Australia is an independent constitutional monarchy. Our monarch just happens to be the same person who is the monarch of Great Britain, Canada, etc.. That's how the monarchy's relationship with the remaining members of the former British Empire was reformed back in the 1950's, shortly after Elizabeth II came to the throne.

This is a separate issue to Australia keeping the Queen on the currency. Several other "Independent monarchies", such as Papua New Guinea and Barbados, have a similar government structure but choose not to use the Queen's portrait on their coinage, unless a royal event is being celebrated.

Australia continues to use the Queen's portrait because... well... we haven't thought of anything better to use. In Australia, according to the Currency Act 1965, coin designs are approved by the Treasurer, a politician. Theoretically, he/she could change it anytime, but any attempt to remove the monarch's portrait would have the monarchists crying "republicanism by stealth".

The monarchy would have to become a lot less popular here before they could get away with something like that.

Head of state:

The Australian Constitution dates from 1900, when the Dominions of the British Empire were not independent states in their own right, and does not use the term "head of state". In practice, the role of head of state of Australia is divided between two people, the Queen of Australia and the Governor-General of Australia, who is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of Australia. Though in many respects the Governor-General is the Queen's representative, and exercises various constitutional powers in her name, he is also independently vested with many important constitutional powers by the Constitution.

The Queen, or Sovereign, of Australia, currently Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is also the Sovereign of fifteen other Commonwealth Realms including the United Kingdom. Like the other Dominions, Australia gained legislative independence from the Parliament of the United Kingdom by virtue of the Statute of Westminster 1931, which was adopted in Australia in 1942 with retrospective effect from 3 September 1939. By the Royal Style and Titles Act 1953, the Australian Parliament gave the Queen the title Queen of Australia, and in 1973 removed from the Queen's Australian style and titles any reference to her status as Queen of the United Kingdom and Defender of the Faith.

Section 61 of the Constitution provides that 'The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth'. Section 2 of the Australian Constitution provides that a Governor-General shall represent the Queen in Australia. In practice, the Governor-General carries out all the functions usually performed by a head of state without reference to the Queen.

The question of whether the Queen is Australia's head of state became a political one during the 1999 Australian republic referendum, when opponents of the move to make Australia a republic claimed that Australia already had an Australian as head of state in the person of the Governor-General, who since 1965 has invariably been an Australian citizen. The current Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery, said in 2004: "Her Majesty is Australia's head of state but I am her representative and to all intents and purposes I carry out the full role." However, by 2005, he declined to name the Queen as head of state, instead saying in response to a direct question, "The Queen is the Monarch and I represent her, and I carry out all the functions of Head of State." The Governor-General represents Australia internationally, making and receiving State visits.

Under the conventions of the Westminster system the Governor-General's powers are almost always exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers. The Governor-General retains reserve powers similar to those possessed by the Queen in the United Kingdom. These are rarely exercised, but during the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 Governor-General Sir John Kerr used them independently of the Queen and the Prime Minister.

Australia has periodically experienced movements seeking to end the monarchy. In a 1999 referendum, the Australian people voted on a proposal to change the Constitution. The proposal would have removed references to the Queen from the Constitution and replaced the Governor-General with a President nominated by the Prime Minister, but subject to the approval of a two-thirds majority of both Houses of the Parliament. The proposal was defeated. The Australian Republican Movement continues to campaign for an end to the monarchy in Australia, opposed by Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.

(Directly quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govern...f_Australia)

Spot on!

I think the thing I love most about this Forum is it's like one Big History Class

But there's no Final Exam!
you are very right graceoutcast

Spot on, Gary:)
regards,

Damn, now we'll have to tell them what 'strine' means!
This could possibly snowball but they may egg jelly work it out on their own. You would'nt need a sly drool to work it out but if they can't, their numb butter buncher drongoes.
regards,

I'm learning all kinds of things.

Just yesterday I learned the meaning of "chuffed."