The move for Australia to break away from the monarchy has picked up serious momentum today, with all but one of Australia’s state premiers and chief ministers signing a declaration calling for an Australian head of state.
The statement — which declares “We, the undersigned premiers and chief ministers of Australia, believe that Australians should have an Australian as our head of state” — was signed by all premiers and chief ministers except WA’s Colin Barnett.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has also supported the move. The noted republican issued a statement through his office confirming his “commitment to Australia having an Australian as head of state is undiminished”.
Australian Republican Movement chairman Peter FitzSimon says the declaration — as well as an online campaign that’s been signed by more than 4,000 people — is timed to take advantage of Australia Day celebrations.
“It is time to get moving, and I must say I was thrilled by how enthusiastic the premiers were,” Mr FitzSimons told ABC News Breakfast this morning.
“All of Australia’s political leaders now support an Australian head of state, including Malcolm Turnbull and [Opposition Leader] Bill Shorten.
“Never before have the stars of the Southern Cross been so aligned in pointing to the dawn of a new republican age for Australia.”
The lone dissident, Colin Barnett, is actually a republican himself and even campaigned for a republic ahead of the 1999 referendum, but says he does not think “the time is right” to push for constitutional change.
In 2010, Barnett appeared on Q&A and warned that “if anyone wants to introduce a republic, dissolve the Australian Federation and the Constitution, then the risk is Western Australia may not rejoin”.
In a statement issued today, the Australian Monarchist League’s national chair Philip Benwell denounced the push as being based on the will of politicians, rather than the will of the people.
“This petition is calling for a republic which will be based on the will of politicians, which is evidenced by so many premiers and politicians supporting it.”
Mr Benwell disputed the notion that we do not already have an Australian head of state, saying “it is quite clear” the Queen is merely a sovereign head of state, and the Governor-General is executive head of state.
What do you think? Is it time for Australia to become a Republic? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comments below!
Last time we polled Bmag readers, we asked you whether it was time to introduce daylight savings in Queensland. A resounding 51 per cent of you voted in the affirmative, with 18.83 per cent voting that only select parts of the state should adopt the practice, 17.69 per cent voting to maintain the status quo, and 12.48 per cent voting that not only should we not adopt daylight savings, but New South Wales should scrap it, too.
When are all these gutless, useless politicians going to stop wanting to spend our money on useless things. Our country is in so much debt and now the idiots are proposing that we have a “Australian Head of State”!! I suppose whoever they will be, will also want huge pensions and wages like the politicians do now -ONLY MORE SO!!!!
When are we going to get some politicians who really care about this country and its’ people???!!! All of them only seem to care about lining their own pockets and finding anything to say to make sure they get voted back in again, unless like some, have left to get the benefit of their Super before it changes!!
The media and university professors, also has a lot to answer for!! Why don’t any of you have the balls to tell things they way they are, rather than printing biased articles, that you want printed, instead of printing both sides of the story, which you are supposed to do.
I agree with Colin Barnett. Do we seriously not have more pressing things to worry about than spending millions, possibly billions of dollars to rewrite the Australian constitution simply to rename us The Republic of Australia rather than The Commonwealth of Australia?
Will we all be better off? Will it improve the economy? Will funding magically increase to our schools and hospitals? Will it provide safe havens for domestic violence victims? Will countless other more important issues be resolved?
Our state and federal leaders and opposition “Nero’s” are fiddling while Rome burns. They are introducing Panem et Circenses (bread and circuses) to distract the masses from the more important and serious matters at hand.
On the scale of things of importance for Australia, a republic would seriously have to be way down the list.
Leave things well alone!
Ever heard of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?
At least with the Monarchy, decisions’ can be made properly.
Don’t want an out-of-left-field twits’ making final decisions’ here!
No i do not think it is worth any amount of money to become a republic.
I went through daylight saving once in Qld. & that was enough for me. NO NO NO to daylight saving