Public involvement is essential for a viable Republic referendum process

In addition, the 71-page Yes and No case booklet provided to all voters did not do the job. It told Australians very little about what they needed to know and it was difficult to find anyone who had actually read the whole booklet.

This should be changed so that the basic information required by Australians to cast their vote is separated from the partisan arguments of the Yes and No cases. Without such information, referendums will continue to be plagued by the destructive and undoubtedly effective argument of "Don't Know Vote No".

It seems inevitable that there will be another referendum on an Australian republic some time over the next decade. If we are not to add to our long list of referendum failures, there needs to be a focus now on the process of reform rather than just its substance.

Without this, republicans may again lament a costly and decisive defeat in a national referendum and Australians the waste of millions of dollars of public money.