Republicans should take notice of their leader, Malcolm Turnbull, who has just relaunched the republican movement. Among other things, he has called on them to agree on a model.
The fact is republicans are further away from such agreement than they were at the 1998 Constitutional Convention, where one side was only dissuaded from walking out by the constitutional monarchist leader, Lloyd Waddy. They were upset because of the tactics of the ARM.
When he was elected to Parliament, Mr. Turnbull told the Wentworth Courier (12 October 2001) that the “republic issue” was not really on his mind.
“As I said in 1990, no meant no for a very long time... There is no point having a referendum on a republic unless it can be won,” he said.
...four essential conditions...
“To have a successful referendum you need to have at least four things:
·overwhelming community support,
·bipartisan political support,
·a sense that the time is right, and also that
·the republicans have agreed on a mode.”
“I think it is unlikely that all those things will come into alignment during the reign of the present Queen,” he concluded.
Not one of the four conditions is present in 2013 - nor are any likely in the foreseeable future.
In this piece in WA Today on 16 May 2013, ACM's executive director, Jai Martinkovits, speaks on behalf of young Australians who don't want to trash our constitution. He was responding to Geoff Gallop's piece in the same newspaper.
Australians – a people well endowed with common sense, good judgement and decency – innately and sensibly test all constitution change against the fundamental criteria, as our founding fathers put it; is the change "desirable, irresistible and inevitable"?
Although Australians are criticised for not readily agreeing to referendum proposals, this is not because we aren't prepared to consider constitutional change.
It is because, unlike what would have been the case in one of the early drafts of our constitution, Australians themselves cannot initiate proposals for change.Instead, change is always left to the politicians who have attempted either to centralise more power in Canberra or to monkey around with the constitution.Australians are just too smart to fall for that.
With the re-launch of the republican movement by opposition front bencher Malcolm Turnbull, it is clear that the republicans could not care less what sort of politician's republic they would foist on the nation.
Either they haven't thought about this or worse, they're keeping it secret.
The absolutely essential point is they refuse to reveal to the Australian people just what they want to do to our Constitution.
What they openly admit is that they plan to remove one of the crucial checks and balances on the politicians - without telling us how they are going to replace this.
Once again the republicans are giving laughable reasons to justify this change. You see, the republicans think Australians are stupid. They are wrong. Average Australians are too well well endowed with common sense, good judgment and decency to fall for this propaganda.
To justify this disgraceful sleight of hand they are talking about our identity.
As in 1999, they go on about the head of state, an an obscure diplomatic term governed by international law. Having an Australian as head of state was the only serious argument int he 1999 Yes/No booklet all voters received.
Sydney’s oldest church, St James Church King Street will be hosting a church service on Sunday 2 June 2013 at 11 AM to acknowledge the 60th Anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
The service, Choral Mattins, will be held in the presence of Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, the Governor of New South Wales.
The Rector of St. James, Father Sempell has extended an invitation to all ACM members.
Talk about shooting themselves in the foot. When he re-launched the republican campaign on 10 May, 2013, Malcolm Turnbull said republicans had "fundamentally undermined" their own cause by reducing the visibility of the monarchy in Australians' daily life.
"As the Queen and the Crown become less visible, the anomaly of it being there is less obvious," he said.
"I mean the best thing that can happen to republican cause is for the Queen's portrait to be hung in every classroom, for children to line up every morning and swear allegiance to the Queen, for all of us to get letters from the government demanding money for unpaid parking fines marked 'On Her Majesty's Service'."
We warned the republicans it wouldn't work, they had no mandate to do it and it would not help them.
The late Professor George Winterton - a very prominent republican - warned them too. But some republicans thought creeping republicanism was a smart way of circumventing the peoples' vote.
ACM supporters everywhere, in local government, in Parliaments, in scouting troupes and Girl Guides - tell the republicans that the republican commander, Malcolm Turnbull has had second thoughts. Creeping republicanism is now off the agenda.
Restore the portraits and all the signs of the Crown, the Oaths, the Coats of Arms. and fly the Australian Flag.
Don't tell the republicans that it won't make Australians long for some politicians' republic, but let them dream that that will happen if they want to. It will be just another elusive silver bullet.
On Friday, 26 April 2013, ACM held an Afternoon Tea celebrating Her Majesty's 87th birthday. Hosted by The Hon. David Clarke MLC, it was a well attended and successful function.
Attendees were delighted when Shadow Special Minister for State, The Hon. Bronwyn Bishop MP delivered the following message from the Leader of the Opposition, The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR.
To download a PDF copy of the Mr. Abbott's message, please click here.
The Committee of the South Australian Division of ACM is pleased to bring to your attention a special Choral Eucharist for The Queen's Coronation Jubilee.
Appearing with former Labor Premier of Western Australia Dr. Geoff Gallop, Malcolm Turnbull re-launched the republican campaign at a celebrity attended dinner in Sydney on 10 May 2013. This re-launch, one of several since the 1999 referendum, followed a call by Treasurer Wayne Swan earlier this year for the matter to be returned to the agenda.
Mr. Turnbull’s reaction will no doubt encourage Mr. Swan to emulate former PM Paul Keating who used republicanism to great advantage as a very useful wedge to divide the Liberal Party. On this occasion much could additionally be made of the fact that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is a staunch monarchist, having been Australians for Constitutional Monarchy’s first national executive director.
Curiously these considerations in no way discouraged Mr. Turnbull from making his very public call about some vague undefined politicians’ republic, slap bang in the middle of what is being famously described as the longest election campaign in Australian history.
During the course of his address, Mr. Turnbull criticized compulsory voting and even going to vote at polling stations.
No doubt embarrassed by the millions and millionsof taxpayers funds that were poured down the drain over this folly, he is now calling for an "online plebiscite". He claims these have become more reliable than traditional paper ballots.
A blank cheque plebiscite is a favourite tool of authoritarian governments, and those who want to keep the people in the dark. Fortunately our Constitution requires that all the details of any proposed change be on the table before the vote, and not filled in afterwards.
....secret plans ....
It’s as if they were marching down the street chanting: "We want a Republic. We haven’t the foggiest idea what sort of Republic we want.”
The republicans either don't know what they are doing, or worse - they're keeping their plans secret.
If Mr Turnbull wants to persuade the Australian people they have to be serious. That to go away and it’s hard work and come back with a well worked out proposal. Without that can get very short shrift from the Australian people.
Malcolm Turnbulll has told Australians they must keep on voting on some politicians' republic until they get it right. Appearing with former Labor Premier of Western Australia Dr. Geoff Gallop, Mr Turnbull re-launched the republican campaign at a celebrity attended dinner in Sydney on 10 May 2013. This re-launch, one of several since the 1999 referendum, followed a call by Treasurer Wayne Swan earlier this year for the matter to be returned to the agenda.
In the middle of the longest election campaign in Australian electoral history, Malcolm Turnbull has risen to the bait thrown out by Treasurer Wayne Swan to wedge the Liberals. The bait is ..... a politicians' republic.
This is real wedge material. The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, is a committed constitutional monarchist. In fact he was the first Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy. Why would Malcolm Turnbull do this?
But as Professor David Flint points out, they want to remove our oldest check and balance on the politicians - without telling us what they are planning to put in its place.
It's as if they were marching down the street chanting: "We want a Republic. The only trouble is ....we haven't the foggiest idea what sort of Republic we want."
If Mr Turnbull and the ARM want to persuade the Australian people they have to be serious. They have to go away, do the hard work, work out what precisely they are proposing and then, and only then, come back with a worked out proposal.
They must stop taking the Australian people for pushovers. Australians are too smart for that.
Without that can get very short shrift from the Australian people. And rightly so.
