ONE of Australia's most respected television broadcasters, one of our greatest ever Olympians and a recent Melbourne Cup winner are the standout leaders in The Bug's New Year poll to determine the people's choice for the nation's first president.
As soon as it became clear that not only would pro-republican delegates be in a big majority at next month's constitutional convention but that most of those favoured election of the president by popular ballot, your No 1 family Net newspaper commissioned the respected Trotter Organisation to determine just whom we wanted to lead us into the third millennium.
In the Trotter Poll, 2230 people in all mainland states and a second cousin in Tasmania were asked: whom would you like to see as Australia's first popularly elected head of state?
Highly respected Sydney-based television personality Brian Henderson (pictured above) led the poll with almost eight percent of votes.
Henderson died of old age in 1986 but had been such a rating winner for the Channel 9 network for so many years that concerned station executives sought permission from relatives for him to stay on. Henderson's embalmed body still reads the nightly news in Sydney with the aid of state-of-the-art animatronics from the same people who went on to fame with Babe.
In keeping with a proud Aussie tradition, sports stars filled the next two positions: living legend and golden girl of the Olympic pool from 1956 to 1964, Dawn Fraser, with 6.5 percent, and last year's Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double winner, Might and Power, with 6.2 percent.
Our best known acting export, Nicole Kidman, came next with 5.23 percent.
The Bug's senior political analyst, Doctor Rufus Badinage, who also won election to the convention on a monarchist ticket (see his column, this issue) said the poll results clearly show Australians were in no mood to elect a superannuated politician to the nation's highest office.
"Heaven help us if we ever do go down that ruinous road to a banana republic, but at least this poll shows Australians are in no mood to have a political has-been as our leader," he said.
"The poll results are littered with entertainment, sports and community leaders, which is bad news for the likes of Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, Florence Bjelke-Petersen, John Bjelke-Petersen, Sir James Killen, Paul Keating, Neville Wran, Graham Richardson, Joan Kirner and Graham Campbell who have all expressed interest in the job."
Dr Badinage said that while he had no objection to the former Bandstand presenter, Brian Henderson's position as presidential favourite simply showed the advantage in a straight popularity contest of coming from Australia's most densely populated city.
"Dawn Fraser's also from Sydney, so you've got to start wondering whether anyone from the smaller states would have any chance of becoming our popularly elected leader in what boils down to a TV Week Logies voting race."
Dr Badinage said that while Fraser would undoubedly do the nation proud in the role, security guards would have to keep a diligent eye on the Australian and other official flags flying over the presidential palace.
"And Might and Power is a logical choice for Australians who love to take a punt.
"Besides, it will be nice to finally have a head of state who knows his way around Flemington without making an absolute fool of himself."
An excited Channel 9 spokesperson said the station's technical staff believed there would be no problems in re-programming Henderson to perform the presidental duties in the same way that governors-general have since federation.
"We've had the lip sync down pat for years now, and Brian's sophisticated sign-off pause and half-smirk are going perfectly at the moment.
"We believe that Brian will have no trouble rubber-stamping government legislation and drinking too much red wine while hosting parties for visiting overseas dignitories.
"Brian was also a staunch monarchist when he was alive, so we'll have him singing the praises of the republic within months of taking on the role.
"It will be a breathtaking reversal of long-held belief that would make Bill Hayden very, very proud indeed."
Here is the complete breakdown of the Trotter Poll results:
Question: whom would you like to see as Australia's first popularly elected head of state?
Respondents: 2345 registered Australian voters were telephoned on the weekend of January 4-5, 1997. A total of 2245 responded, and of those, only 15 did not have any idea who they would like to see as Australia's first president.
Results of positive responses, tabulated as a percentage:
Brian Henderson: 7.93 percent
Dawn Fraser: 6.5 percent
Might and Power: 6.2 percent
Nicole Kidman: 5.23 percent
Shane Warne's flipper: 4.96 percent
Hazel Hawke: 4.95 percent
Mr Fourex: 4.9 percent
Mahatmacoat: 4.6 percent
Uluru: 4.55 percent
Graham Kennedy: 4.5 percent
Margaret Whitlam: 4.3 percent
Sir Donald Bradman: 4.2 percent
Fatty Vautin: 4.1 percent
Chad Morgan: 3.5 percent
Gough Whitlam: 3.1 percent
Rampagin' Roy Slaven and H. G. Nelson: 3.09 percent
Shane Warne's mystery ball: 3.08 percent
Junie Morosi: 3.06 percent
Franca Arena: 3.055 percent
Kimberley Davis: 3.05 percent
Dougie, legend!: 3.04 percent
Ivan Milat: 3.03 percent
Bruce Ruxton: 3.2 percent
H.Q. Holden Premier: 3.2 percent
Evonne Goolagong: 3.1 percent
Tim McCartney-Snape: 2.95 percent
Leonard Teale: 2.93 percent
Ronald Ryan: 2.9 percent
"A dingo's got my baby!" 2.9 percent
Bill Hunter: 2.89 percent
Steve and Mark Waugh (duties shared): 2.88 percent
Ben Lexcen's winged keel: 2.88 percent
Gai Waterhouse 2.7 percent
John Laws: 2.69 percent
Skippy: 2.66 percent
Joey: 2.45 percent
Dianna, Princess of Wales: 2.44 percent
The guy who sang Sadie in the mid 60s: 2.44 percent
Eddie Mabo: 2.44 percent
The original Blankety Blanks panel: 2.4 percent
Tony Barber: 2.43 percent
Wilson Tuckey: 2.43 percent
The Chiko Roll: 2.43 percent
B1 and B2: 2.43 percent
Andrew Denton: 2.43 percent
Geoffrey Rush: 2.42 percent
HMAS Melbourne: 2.42 percent
Roy Higgins: 2.42 percent
1948 Invincibles: 2.41 percent
Iain Murray: 2.406 percent
Mike Walsh: 2.405 percent
David Helfgott: 2.4 percent
Simpson's Donkey: 2.4 percent
1995 Queensland Sheffield Shield Side: 2.39 percent
Alan Jones (racing): 2.38 percent
Alan Jones (racist): 2.37 percent
Flying Amy: 2.36 percent
The guy who invented the Coolibah wine cask: 2.36 percent
Humphrey B Bear: 2.36 percent
Kerry Packer: 2.36 percent
Noel Pearson: 2.36 percent
My Grade 5 English teacher: 2.36 percent
Ernie Dingo: 2.36 percent
Kane: 2.36 percent
Strop: 2.36 percent
Lynda Stoner: 2.357 percent
Bob Simpson: 2.355 percent
Don Chipp: 2.35 percent
Ron and Valerie Taylor: 2.355 percent
Australian women's one day world champion cricket team: 2.34 percent
Bennelong: 2.36 percent
Shane Warne: 2.2 percent
Sid Heylan: 2.19 percent
Little Pattie: 2 percent
The Bush Tucker Man: 1.98 percent
Dolly Dunn: 1.95 percent
Julius Sumner Miller: 1.9 percent
Don Lane: 1.89 percent
Rowena Wallace: 1.88 percent
Dennis Lillee: 1.87 percent
Don Dunstan: 1.87 percent
Natalie Imbruglia: 1.87 percent
Fairley Arrow: 1.87 percent
John Pilger: 1.87 percent
Andrew Olle: 1.87 percent
Arthur Tunstall: 1.87 percent
Cathy Freeman: 1.87 percent
Gil Tucker: 1.865 percent
Barry McKenzie: 1.86 percent
Fred Stolle: 1.86 percent
Rona Joyner: 1.86 percent
Jack Herbert: 1.86 percent
Tim Shaw: 1.86 percent
Allan Border: 1.86 percent
Ted Bullpit: 1.85 percent
Mick Doohan: 1.85 percent
Agro: 1.849 percent
Peter Doherty: 1.849 percent
Jeannie Little: 1.849 percent
Vic Hislop: 1.849 percent
Nick Cave: 1.848 percent
Stefan: 1.847 percent
Charlie Earp: 1.845 percent
Totti Goldsmith: 1.843 percent
Alby Mangels: 1.84 percent
Sonya McMahon: 1.843 percent
Happy Jack: 1.82 percent
Ron Barassi: 1.81 percent
Dame Nellie Melba: 1.8percent
Bryan Brown: 1.79 percent
Miss Jane: 1.75 percent
Mister Squiggle: 1.70 percent
Gus Mercurio: 1.79 percent
Phoebe Fraser: 1.78 percent
Greg Norman: 1.79 percent
Wally Lewis: 1.78 percent
John Singleton: 1.78 percent
Abigail: 1.78 percent
Ray Barrett: 0.153 percent, your worship
Susan Sangster: 0.14 percent
Pro Hart: 0.14 percent
Barry Gommersall: 0.14 percent
Deen Brothers: 0.135 percent
Jon English: 0.13 percent
Lou Richards: 0.12 percent
Lucus Heights: 0.05 percent
Johnny Young: 0.03 percent
Brett Whiteley: 0.03 percent
Wilfred Burchett: 0.02 percent
Jeff Thomson: 0.02 percent
Rowena Wallace: 0.02 percent
Basher Brown: 0.02 percent
Graeme Bond: 0.02 percent
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: 0.195 percent
Ric Charlesworth: 0.019 percent
Phil Dent: 0.019 percent
Derryn Hinch: 0.018 percent
Steve Dunleavy: 0.018 percent
Jamie Redfern: 0.018 percent
Roy Higgins: 0.005 percent
Warwick Capper: 0.005 percent
Mark Richards: 0.005 percent
Mike and Mal Layland: 0.005 percent
Con the Fruiterer: 0.0035 percent
Norman May: 0.004 percent
Jana Wendt: 0.0035 percent
Mario Milano: 0.003 percent
Darren Beadman: 0.003 percent
Rose Hancock: 0.003 percent
Lindy Chamberlain 0.0025 percent
Bob Hawke's ego: 0.0024 percent
Frank Warrick: 0.002 3percent
Marcia Hines: 0.0022 percent
Mark Taylor: 0.0021 percent
Margaret Pomerantz: 0.0015 percent
Mister Bubbles: 0.0013 pecent
Luke Shaw: 0.001 percent
Cheryl Kernot: 0.001 percent
Saint Mary McKillop: 0.0002 percent
Kerry-Anne Kennelly, Peter Andre, Daryl Summers, Kamahl, Darryl Eastlake, any of the Daddos: 0.0001 percent each
Ray Martin: 0.0000000000000000000000
