The Cane Toad Republic / David Flint

An important contribution to the debate over whether Australia should make a move to a Republic. Answers all the objections to the present system, and critiques the reasons advanced for a change. The book highlights the dangers that would follow a change, if a change was accepted.

In the 1930s, Australia's sugar cane crop was being destroyed by the greyback beetle. Authorities decided to release a sack load of the Hawaiian Bufo Marinus into the cane fields. They would deal with the greyback beetle. They would eat them up.

But the solution was not well thought out. It turned out to be worse than the problem. The Bufo Marinus ate everything except the greyback beetle. Why? The greyback beetle can fly. And Bufo can't. So began the Queensland cane toad disaster.

Today, we don't have a problem with our constitution. It is the envy of the world. Yet, we are told we must make the biggest structural change to our constitution since federation, one which many republicans warn has the potential to subvert our democracy.

David Flint warns that the Keating-Turnbull republic, the model which Australians will vote on, is even worse than the disastrous importation of the cane toad.

The Cane Toad Republic is a readable and amusing outline of the No case. But it is also a stark warning to the dangers that could follow from a Yes vote.