Australian Republic Movement

This article is about the political organisation. For Australian republicanism in general, see Republicanism in Australia.

Australian Republic Movement

Chairperson| Esther Anatolitis and Nathan Hansford
National director| Isaac Jeffrey
Founded| July 1991; 33 years ago (1991-07)
Ideology| Australian republicanism
Website
Australian Republic Movement

The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is a non-partisan organisation campaigning for Australia to become a republic. The ARM and its supporters have promoted various models, including a parliamentary republic, and the organisation has branches active in all states and territories.[1]

## History

[edit]

### Foundation

[edit]

The ARM was founded on 7 July 1991 and was originally known as the Australian Republican Movement.[2] 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.

It was formerly headed by Australian retired Socceroo and human rights activist, Craig Foster and Nova Peris.[3] It is currently headed by arts and cultural leader Esther Anatolitis and management consultant Nathan Hansford.[4]

In May 2024 the ARM experienced a split with Peris and Foster both resigning as co-chairs because of Foster and Peris's differing opinions on the war in Gaza.[5][6]

### 1999 referendum

[edit]

Main article: 1999 Australian republic 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.[7] Nonetheless, the 1999 referendum was 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.[8]

### Australian Choice Model

[edit]

The ARM announced their proposed model for a republic on 13 January 2022, the Australian Choice Model.[9] 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.[10] A majority of ARM members voted to support the policy, however the policy announcement raised concerns and criticisms from the Australian Monarchist League,[11] as well as other republicans, including former Prime Minister Paul Keating[12] and former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.[13] 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. Then-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.[12]

## Chairs

[edit]

No.  | Image  | Chair  | Term  | No.  | Image  | Chair  | Term

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  | Thomas Keneally | 1991 −
November 1993  | (One chair from 1992−2022)
2  |  | Malcolm Turnbull | November 1993 −
20 September 2000
3  |  | Greg Barns | 20 September 2000 −
2002
4  |  | John Warhurst | 2002 −
2005
5  |  | Ted O'Brien | 2005 −
2007
6  |  | Michael Keating  | 2007 −
26 November 2012
7  |  | Geoff Gallop | 26 November 2012 −
20 July 2015
8  |  | Peter FitzSimons | 20 July 2015 −
16 November 2022
9  |  | Craig Foster | 16 November 2022 −
10 July 2024 | 9  |  | Nova Peris | 13 March 2023 −
10 July 2024
10  |  | Esther Anatolitis  | 10 July 2024 −
present  | 10  |  | Nathan Hansford  | 10 July 2024 −
present

## Notable supporters

[edit]

* Peter FitzSimons, writer, broadcaster and former Chair of the Australian Republic Movement[14]
* Joe Hockey, former Treasurer of Australia and Member for North Sydney[15]
* Alan Joyce, former CEO of Qantas[16]
* Ted Smout, World War I veteran[17][18]
* Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister and former Chair of the Australian Republican Movement[19]
* Rupert Murdoch, media mogul[20][irrelevant citation]
* Gladys Berejiklian, former Premier of New South Wales[21][irrelevant citation]
* Marise Payne, former Senator and Foreign Minister[22]
* Paul Keating, former Prime Minister[23][irrelevant citation]
* Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister[24][irrelevant citation]
* Gough Whitlam, former Prime Minister[25][irrelevant citation]
* Kim Beazley, former Deputy Prime Minister, former Governor of Western Australia and former leader of the Labor Party[26]
* Anthony Albanese, current Prime Minister since May 2022[27][irrelevant citation]
* Wayne Swan, former Treasurer[28][irrelevant citation]
* Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister[28][irrelevant citation]
* Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister[25][irrelevant citation]

## See also

[edit]

* Australia portal
* Politics portal

* Republicanism in Australia
* 1999 Australian republic referendum
* Ausflag
* Australian Constitutional history
* Commonwealth of Nations
* Commonwealth realm
* Culture of Australia
* Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Meet the National Committee". Australian Republic Movement. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
2. ^ Australian Republican Movement (1987–2009). "Records of the Australian Republican Movement, 1987-2009". National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
3. ^ "Australian Republic Movement Welcomes New Executive". Australian Republic Movement (Press release). 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
4. ^ "Meet the National Executive". Australian Republic Movement. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
5. ^ Harrison, James (23 May 2024). "Craig Foster to exit Australian Republican Movement amid conflict with former co-chair Nova Peris on Gaza war". Sky News. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
6. ^ Kirk, Emma (21 May 2024). "Olympian Nova Peris resigns from Australian Republican Movement over conflict with co-chair Craig Foster". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
7. ^ "Polls on a republic 1999 - 2002" (PDF). Newspoll and The Australian. November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
8. ^ Turnbull, Malcolm (1999). Fighting for the Republic: the Ultimate Insider's Account. South Yarra, Victoria: Hardie Grant Books. pp. 94, 246. ISBN 1864981075.
9. ^ "Let's Discuss An Australian Republic And The Role Of Head Of State". Australian Republic Movement. Australian Choice Model. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024.
10. ^ Young, Evan (12 January 2022). "This is the latest plan for Australia to become a republic". AAP. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024 - via SBS News. "The federal parliament would be able to nominate up to three people while states and territories would nominate one person each. The ballot winner would get a five-year term and would be responsible for swearing in a prime minister with majority support in the House of Representatives, or calling an election if that support does not exist (duties currently undertaken by the Governor-General, the British monarch's representative in Australia)."
11. ^ "Monarchists debunk new Republican model". Canberra: CityNews. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024.
12. ^ a b Knott, Matthew; Koziol, Michael (13 January 2022). "Keating blasts new republic proposal as dangerous 'US-style presidency'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024.
13. ^ "Republic model risks president-PM balance". The Australian. "Bob Carr has warned the new model for an Australian republic would risk a directly elected head of state viewing their mandate from the people as being superior to that of the PM."
14. ^ Daley, Paul (24 February 2016). "Love him or hate him, Peter FitzSimons gives republicanism a megaphone". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
15. ^ Anderson, Fleur (26 August 2015). "Joe Hockey to lead republic push". The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
16. ^ Aston, Joe (4 November 2015). "Qantas boss Alan Joyce joins republican movement". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
17. ^ "Edward Smout (Ted)". Australians at War Film Archive. University of New South Wales. 8 April 2002. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020. "I think apart from the fact that I'm a Republican."
18. ^ "A soldier and a gentleman". ABC News. 24 June 2004. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020. "In his later years, Mr Smout was an active campaigner for a republic, and was awarded life membership of the Australian Republican Movement in 2002."
19. ^ Murphy, Katharine (27 November 2019). "Two-step plebiscite is only way Australia could be a republic, Malcolm Turnbull says". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
20. ^ Crotty, Gemma (12 July 2024). "Rupert Murdoch predicts Australia will become a republic in next 10 years and says he 'welcomes' Voice referendum result". Sky News. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024.
21. ^ Byrne, Declan (9 June 2017). "Australian republican debate reignited on eve of Queen's Birthday long weekend". North Shore Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024 - via The Daily Telegraph. "The pro-republican camp was led by Premier and State Liberal Member for Willoughby Gladys Berejiklian."
22. ^ Evans, Jake (8 September 2023). "Liberal senator Marise Payne to retire from politics". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "Senator Payne has spent a life in politics, and before entering parliament had previously served as the federal president of the Young Liberals and as vice-chair of the Australian Republic Movement alongside Malcolm Turnbull."
23. ^ "Paul Keating". National Museum of Australia. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "1993: Keating appointed a Republic Advisory Committee to report on options available to Australia for becoming a republic. Keating had personally become the nation's leading advocate for a republican form of government."
24. ^ "Bob Hawke obituary: Australia's ambitious and charismatic former PM". BBC News. 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "A republican at heart, Hawke also replaced God Save the Queen with Advance Australia Fair as the nation's anthem."
25. ^ a b Griffiths, Emma (10 March 2014). "Obituary: former prime minister Gough Whitlam dead at 98". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "A keen author, he recounted his time in office in several books and remained an active participant in Labor party politics. At times, he joined forces with his old political foe, Malcolm Fraser, to campaign for causes such as an Australian republic."
26. ^ Holdaway, Scott (3 April 2018). "Kim Beazley named new governor of WA, capping distinguished career for ex-Labor leader". ABC News. A governor, a republican and a democrat. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "Mr Beazley — a noted republican and a member of the Australian Republican Movement's advisory panel — said he would be doing "a lot of resigning" over the next few weeks."
27. ^ Lynch, Cordelia (11 September 2022). "Australian PM says he will not hold republic referendum during his first term out of 'deep respect' for Queen". Sky News. The Reigniting Of The Republican Debate - Analysis By Cordelia Lynch, In Canberra. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "Anthony Albanese is a long-known republican and created the role of assistant minister for the republic, upsetting some monarchists, after he became prime minister in May. In 2018, he talked about a referendum on the move to being a republic as an "exciting opportunity"."
28. ^ a b Cullen, Simon (25 January 2013). "Wayne Swan reignites republic debate". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. "Prime Minister Julia Gillard describes herself as a republican, but says it is not a priority for the Government at the moment."

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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Organisations|

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