Ex Oz premier bats for US-style presidential system

Canberra, Oct 12 (ANI): Former West Australian premier Geoff Gallop has said that Canberra might get a better Federal Parliament and superior ministers if it adopts an American-type system.

According to The Age, professor Gallop, who is now at Sydney University, would say in his Hawke Lecture tomorrow that the Australian system could be made strong by incorporating an "executive presidency" separate from Parliament.

"Not only does it accord with the evolution of our system in the direction of presidential politics, but it carries the possibility for cabinet ministers to be selected from outside Parliament," The Age quoted professor Gallop, as saying.

In his lecture in Adelaide, he would reportedly say that many Australians who would be effective ministers "are simply not willing to stand for the Parliament".

The first step to such a change would be a referendum to make Australia a republic with an elected president, which would be followed by further constitutional change, he added. (ANI)