Australian Republic Movement
ChairpersonCraig Foster AM
National directorSandy Biar
FoundedJuly 1991 (1991-07)
IdeologyAustralian republicanism
Website
Australian Republic Movement

The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is a non-partisan organisation campaigning for Australia to become a republic. ARM and its supporters have promoted various models of a republic including parliamentary republic and it is, again, reviewing its preferred model.

As of 2017, ARM operated staffed campaign offices in Sydney and Canberra, and has branches active in all states and territories.

The Australian Republic Movement’s National Committee announced the appointment of Isaac Jeffrey as the new Chief Executive Officer and National Director on the 15th August 2023.

Lifelong republican and strategist Isaac Jeffrey will work along side Co-Chair Nova Peris OAM.

Co-Chair Craig Foster AM said Mr Jeffrey had a strong background in both the political arena and in the private sector, with his most recent role being CEO at the National Irrigators’ Council.

[1]

Australia’s current head of state

Australia has a common head of state with all the other Commonwealth realm nations. Australia’s constitution provided that, in 1901, the then monarch of the United Kingdom also became the monarch of Australia. The nations and their governments are independent with only a personal union in the person of the monarch.[2] The Australian monarch is generally understood to be the head of state, although regal functions are ordinarily performed by an appointed governor-general and state governors.

Chairs

#ChairStartEndTime in position
1Thomas Keneally AO199119932 years
2Malcolm Turnbull AC199320007 years
3Greg Barns SC200020022 years
4John Warhurst AO200220053 years
5Ted O'Brien MP200520072 years
6Michael Keating200720125 years
7Geoff Gallop AC FASSA201220153 years
8Peter FitzSimons AM201520227 years
9Craig Foster AM2022present1 years

History

Foundation

The ARM was founded on 7 July 1991 and was originally known as the Australian Republican Movement.[3] Its first chairman was novelist Thomas Keneally, with other founding members including lawyer Malcolm Turnbull (later Prime Minister), former Australian cricket captain Ian Chappell, film director Fred Schepisi, and author, journalist, and radio and television presenter Peter FitzSimons.[4] It is currently headed by Australian retired soccer player and human rights activist, Craig Foster.[5]

1999 referendum

The Australian republic referendum, held on 6 November 1999, was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. For some years opinion polls had suggested that a majority of the electorate favoured a republic.[6] Nonetheless, the republic referendum was narrowly defeated due to a range of factors, including a lack of bi-partisanship and division among republicans on the method proposed for selection of the president.[7][8]

Policy

The ARM is undertaking a national consultation[9] to seek the views of Australians about the substance of the constitutional reforms needed for Australia to have its constitutional independence from the British Monarchy. Once completed, the consultation will inform the ARM's decision about which model it should advocate to be taken forward to a referendum.

A referendum would give voters the choice between retaining the British Monarchy as the head of Australia, and Australia having its constitutional independence.

Australian Choice Model

The ARM announced their proposed model for a republic on 13 January 2022, the Australian Choice Model.[10] The model would entail a process where the State and Territory Parliaments each nominate one candidate to be the Head of State, and the Federal Parliament nominates up to three candidates. The list of these candidates would then be put to a vote where the public would elect their preferred candidate and would serve for a five-year term.[11] A majority of ARM members voted to support the policy, however the policy announcement raised concerns and criticisms from the Australian Monarchist League,[12] as well as other republicans, including former Prime Minister Paul Keating[13] and former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.[14] Critics such as Carr claim that a head of state who is elected by the public could cause conflict with a Prime Minister and Parliament. Past ARM Chair Peter FitzSimons dismissed these criticisms, claiming that a head of state's powers would be limited and would be unable to dismiss a Prime Minister.[15]

Arguments

The ARM argues that Australia should replace the monarchy with an Australian as president and head of state. It contends that “the benefits of this system are a head of state that can exclusively represent Australian interests, a system that better aligns with democratic institutions, a fully independent constitution and a head of state that can represent Australian values.”

Notable supporters

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Majority of parliamentarians support Australian republic". Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "Commonwealth of Australia Act 1900 (UK)". Federal Register of Legislation. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018., covering clause 2. Hence Australia is a Commonwealth realm within the Commonwealth of Nations.
  3. ↑ "Records of the Australian Republican Movement, 1987-2009". National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  4. ↑ The Coming Republic Archived 26 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Donald Horne, Sun Australia, page 10
  5. ↑ "AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC MOVEMENT WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE". Australian Republic Movement. 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Polls on a republic 1999 - 2002" (PDF). Newspoll. November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  7. ↑ Turnbull, Malcolm (1999). Fighting for the Republic: the Ultimate Insider's Account. South Yarra: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 1864981075.
  8. ↑ Vizard, Steve (1998). Two Weeks in Lilliput: Bear Baiting and Backbiting at the Constitutional Convention. Ringwood: Penguin. ISBN 0140279830.
  9. ↑ "Have Your Say". Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Australian Choice Model: Policy".
  11. ↑ "This is the latest plan for Australia to become a republic".
  12. ↑ "Monarchists debunk new Republican model". 12 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Keating blasts new republic proposal as dangerous 'US-style presidency'". 13 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Subscribe to the Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps".
  15. ↑ "Keating blasts new republic proposal as dangerous 'US-style presidency'". 13 January 2022.
  16. ↑ Daley, Paul (23 February 2016). "Love him or hate him, Peter FitzSimons gives republicanism a megaphone". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  17. ↑ Fleur Anderson (26 August 2015). "Joe Hockey to lead republic push". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  18. ↑ Aston, Joe (4 November 2015). "Qantas boss Alan Joyce joins republican movement". Financial Review. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  19. ↑ "Edward Smout". | Australians at War Film Archive. University of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "A soldier and a gentleman". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 June 2004. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  21. ↑ "Two-step plebiscite is only way Australia could be a republic, Malcolm Turnbull says". the Guardian. 26 November 2019. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
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