Today marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II became the reigning monarch of the UK and by default, Australia’s Head of State too. Yet, despite seven decades as Australia’s Head of State almost two-thirds of Australians are unaware she holds this role.
Read MoreAustralian Republic Movement Launches Ad Campaign
Read MoreToday the Australian Republic Movement has unveiled its model for an Australian republic.
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement today welcomed the partial release of further palace letters between the Palace and Governors-General Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir Richard Casey, Sir Zelman Cowen and Sir Ninian Stephen, as reported today in The Australian.
Read MoreAs most of Australia takes a well-earned break, it’s time once again to reflect on Australia’s future under the British monarchy and the need for our independence from the Crown.
Read MoreChair of the Australian Republic Movement Peter FitzSimons AM expressed his condolences to the British Royal Family on behalf of the Movement following the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Read MoreIn a year where Australians stood together, backed ourselves and led the world in management of the pandemic, it’s of little surprise that more Australians than ever feel it’s time for us to forge ahead as an independent nation with an Australian Head of State.
Read MoreA reinvigorated National Committee will lead the Australian Republic Movement following recent internal elections - placing it in an even stronger position to put Australia’s independence from the British Monarchy back on the national agenda.
Read MoreToday more than 5.1 million Queenslanders will be acknowledging the ‘Birthday of the Sovereign’ – but the Queen and Buckingham Palace appear not to be aware about it at all.
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The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) has been saddened to learn of the passing of Hon. Susan Ryan AO.
The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) stands by its assertion that Buckingham Palace was “consulted and forewarned about Governor-General John Kerr’s likely decision to dismiss the Whitlam Government, provided advice on how the Governor-General's reserve powers might be exercised, and that Sir John Kerr even war-gamed possible scenarios with the Palace and Prince Charles in which he himself might be dismissed as Governor-General” and that “without the explicit assurances of the Palace Sir John Kerr may not have acted.”
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement (ARM) has called out Buckingham Palace’s arrogant attempt at misleading Australians about the nature of their involvement in the dismissal of the democratically elected Whitlam government.
Read MoreI am gobsmacked by the letters.
They bring to life once more the horror of what happened. Here you have the most dramatic moment in Australian political history, going right to the very heart of our democratically elected government.
The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) has welcomed their release, saying that Australians deserved to know to what extent the British Royal Family and Buckingham Palace was involved in one of the most controversial chapters in Australian political history.
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A new YouGov poll reported in today’s Daily Telegraph found that 62 per cent of Australians want Australia’s Head of State to be an Australian.
Read MoreAs much of the country celebrates a well-earned long weekend, most Australians would be bemused to know that the public holiday marks the birthday of the head of our Australia, the British Monarch Queen Elizabeth. It is the second of five days in 2020 set aside to mark the Queen’s Birthday: her actual birthday on 21 April, 15 June on Norfolk Island, 28 September in Western Australia, 5 October in Queensland and 8 June in the remainder of the nation.
An Essential Media poll in May 2018 found that just one third of Australians knew the British Queen was Australia’s head of state (see Appendix A). Given the increasing irrelevance of the British Monarchy to modern Australia, the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is calling for the public holiday to instead acknowledge Australia’s frontline heroes who make a meaningful difference to the lives of Australians every day.
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement welcomed the High Court decision today to release 211 ‘Palace Letters’ - correspondence between the Governor-General and Buckingham Palace during the controversial dismissal of the Whitlam Government.
Buckingham Palace had previously vetoed the release of the correspondence until 2027 and fought to keep the letters secret, citing the potential for damage to the UK-Australian relationship and the relationship of the Queen with her representatives in Australia if they were released.
Read MoreToday the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is embarking on a new historic chapter in Australia’s campaign for independence from the British Monarchy, through the launch of its new national strategy.
The strategy proposes the ARM adopt a clearly articulated proposal for constitutional reform by building on the common ground that already exists between supporters of a republic. A national consultation over the next 18-24 months will inform the development of the reform model and work to build consensus among supporters, the broader community and the Federal Parliament. Once that consensus has been achieved, the ARM will campaign for the model proposal to be taken directly to a referendum.
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement (ARM) has welcomed the announcement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that they’re planning to step back from the British Monarchy and go their own way, and offered them Life Membership of the ARM.
“They’ve effectively said they’ve outgrown the British Monarchy, and we in Australia can certainly relate to that.”
Read MoreThis inquiry goes to the heart of what we at the Australian Republic Movement are campaigning for – reform to give more Australians a say and include them in the important decisions affecting them – in particular when it comes to the question of who represents them as Australia’s Head of State. For too long, the most senior role in Australia’s Constitution, our Head of State has been restricted to a family on the other side of the world, with little relevance or meaningful connection to Australia.
Ensuring our Head of State adequately represents Australians, and that Australians feel they are being served by them, should be of paramount interest to any examination of citizenship, civics education, allegiance to Australia and democratic participation.
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We strongly believe that the method for the selection of our Head of State works against the promotion of democratic participation, inclusion and the development of a cohesive national identity. If the most senior role in our national Constitution does not live up to the standards and values that Australians hold deeply, then we cannot expect Australians to feel represented by them and have ownership as citizens over them. Parliamentarians, judges, members of the Australian Defence Force and other such positions that require an oath should swear an allegiance to those they serve: Australians. Until such a time as constitutional and legislative reform to correct these inconsistencies has been achieved, there will be an ongoing democratic deficit in our Constitution and our nation.
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