Writing to the editor of The Listener, Treasurer of the Monarchist League Capt. Chris Barradale puts forward a republican argument for creating more checks on the Prime Minister, by way of the Governor-General. Captain Barradale makes a number of points on the increasing powers of the Prime Minister (while the Queen and her representative remain "above politics", unable to check the Prime Minister), some of which were due to Clark, others due to former Prime Ministers (For example, the Governor-General's office was absorbed into the Department for Prime Minister and the Cabinet in August 1990, when Geoffrey Palmer was Prime Minister - Helen Clark was only Deputy then).

Capt Barradale then puts forward a republican argument for reforming the office of Governor-General:

"...grant to the Governor-General the right to refuse vice-regal assent to bills that he/she thinks could be contrary to the people's wishes."

This would never work - considering the Prime Minister would retain the right to advise Queen to remove the Governor-General, it would be a constitutionally useless power. The only solution would be to elect the Governor-General independently, something Professor Noel Cox of the Monarchist League is opposed to - because it would create an office that is a presidency in all but name. On this theme, Captain Barradale states:

"The bill should then be put to a referendum for a final and binding decision."

The Presidents of Austria, Iceland, Italy, Ireland and Greece all have similar powers to our Governor-General (that is, they are largely ceremonial), but have the ability to send bills of Parliament to a referendum. No Governor-General anywhere in the Commonwealth has such a power.