Why have progressives neglected the republic?

And the nation is made up of its citizens, or at least that is what my republican values tell me. So just as our debates on environmental, social or economic policy are important day to day, surely our discourse about the nation is important to our long term social cohesion, values and place in the world?

So why have progressives neglected the republic?

It cannot be a values-based decision. There are no progressives I know who would argue that an institution as elite and undemocratic as the British monarchy should maintain its exclusive hold over our nation's sovereignty. That no Australian can ever aspire on merit to be head of our nation is surely anathema to any progressive.

It also cannot be an identity issue. Surely no progressive would say Australia should forever define itself as part of an "Anglosphere" from which many in our multicultural society feel excluded. A republic would confirm that Australia's identity includesall our people, which you would expect progressives would embrace enthusiastically.

And what about our place in the world? Again, you would expect progressives to embrace an Australia that stands comfortably in this part of the world, equal with our neighbours, rather than projecting an image of a colonial outpost suffering the tyranny of distance from our spiritual home. Our spiritual home is here.

So if progressives are republican on all of the reasons "why", they must be stuck on "how". That means we are left with politics. Is it all about politics and not principle?

Is it just that Australians were so utterly divided in 1999 on how to select a Head of State, that progressives are forever frozen on the issue? Can it really be so hard?

If we leave policy development to focus groups and apparatchiks, of course, it is all too hard. A republic will never be a top of mind, urgent priority of a focus group or a media adviser looking to the next 24 hour news cycle.

But is it really beyond the capabilities and imagination of Australians to design a new institution to reflect our national identity and national sovereignty? It wasn't beyond us when we designed the other unique elements in our Constitution more than a century ago.

Of course, politics is on the nose and part of the problem could be that the republic is framed by the mainstream media as being all about politics. Exactly the place where it has got stuck.

But the republic is really about our values, our identity and our place in the world. And if we get people talking about it on those terms, we just might find we can design some new politics around the common ground issues that make us Australian.

Imagine if we involved the Australian community in designing the republic, to live up to what's best about Australia. Imagine a community debate about how to select one of us as Head of State, on merit - not governed by money or inheritance or big business or political parties. Imagine a selection process that was built on community values and community trust at each step of the way. Imagine involving the Australian people in carefully designing and defining the role's powers and purpose.