Perhaps Australia could learn something?
As the clocks ticked over to midnight to move our calendars from 2023 to 2024, we welcomed the new year with our hopes and dreams for the coming year. It also brings into focus significant anniversaries for Malta to acknowledge the past dreams of Maltese people, with important milestone dates to be recognised and celebrated later in the year.
If you turn 60 in 2024, your year of birth will coincide with the year Malta was granted independence, as a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. On September 21, 1964, Malta became a sovereign nation.
Turning 50? Your own milestone birthday will be shared with the year of Malta becoming a republic. On December 13, 1974, Malta became a republic within the Commonwealth, and the role of the British monarch was replaced by a Maltese president. The first President of Malta was Sir Anthony Mamo.
Malta became a member of the European Union in the same year a current member of the Gen Z cohort was born. Twenty years ago, after a fractious debate and referendum which caused divisions in the nation, Malta joined the EU on the 1st of May 2004.
These constitutional changes in 1964 and 1974 were pivotal moments in Malta’s history, marking its journey from a British colony to an independent nation and later to a republic.
For Australia, 2024 will be the 25th anniversary of the republic referendum.
When asked, on 6 November 1999, the Australian people could not bring themselves to vote to change the constitution to become a republic. The question put to the people was, ‘To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.’
The outcome was No 54%, Yes %46.
The question on whether to become a republic was alongside a separate question to change the preamble of the constitition, which was also voted down.
The specific model, contained in the question, was the result of a fractious debate over the form of the question and the options for the model of republic. Whilst the referendum outcome was a ‘No’, it was not a clear ‘No’ against the idea of a republic because the parties that formed the No side, included the monarchist movement and those in the republican movement, while supportive of a republic, who campaigned for a different model of a republic.
Twenty five years later the status quo remains that since federation in 1901, Australia still retains the British monarchy (King Charles) as the head of state represented by the Governor General. While a republic has been talked about since 1832, and eventually put to the people in 1999, there is no prospect in the foreseeable future of asking the Australian people to consider a republic. Australia remains as only one of 15 countries that retain the British monarchy as their constitutional head of state.
Malta, population of 400,000, after having been ruled by every empire and owing its very existence to Britain’s protection, as a key strategic location during World War II, chose the path to have its own head of state fifty years ago. It has remained a stable, democratic country while not forgetting its heritage.
While Australia was formed into a federation of states under an Australian constitution in 1901, its laws still remained subject to British courts for another 80 years. It was not until 1986 that the High Court of Australia became the final court of appeal for Australian courts on all matters. this finally brough to an end the powers of the United Kingdom Parliament and Government over the States.
Malta went through three nation changing decisions in 40 years, while in the last 124 years Australia’s only change is that the highest court for Australian law is Australian not British.
Perhaps there is something to be learned by Australia?
