Australia will, by the end of 2001, cease to be a constitutional monarchy under the British Crown. The Constitution will have been altered to effect this change and the office of Governor-General, the Queen's representative in the land, will have been replaced by that of a Head-of-State chosen either by the people or parliament of Australia (or by some other means broadly representative of Australian public opinion) who shall have, in law, no higher responsibility than to the Commonwealth (or however it may style itself by then) of Australia. The new polity may be called the Commonwealth, Republic, Sultanate, or anything else, the new Head-of-State may be President, Protector or Panjandrum. The country may or may not remain within the British Commonwealth of Nations. The claim will be judged YES if, at the time of judgement, Australia has severed the formal bond which makes the British monarch and the Governor-General a part of the Australian governmental system. The claim will be judged NO if either (a) this is not the case, and the Governor-General still holds his or her position as laid down by the Constitution, or (b) if Australia is no longer demonstrably a sovereign nation or recognisable national entity.
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