A New Push for Australian Republic

Supporters of Australia becoming a republic hope the debate is back on the national agenda with the elevation of Malcolm Turnbull – A republican, to the Prime Ministership. Mourish Condie reports.

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In a referendum 15 years ago, Australia voted on whether or not Australia should be come a republic and have an Australian head of state.

The 1999 referendum was unsuccessful, but today with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in office, there is a fresh hope for the Australian Republican Movement.

With a Republican Prime Minister replacing the previous Monarchist Prime Minister the debate could be back on the national agenda.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been very vocal about he stance on the matter and even lead the movement in 2013.

More recently, Peter FitzSimons made the announcement that former Treasure Joe Hockey and Senator Katy Gallagher will lead a new parliamentary push for an Australian head of State. Peter FitzSimons said he expects to move towards a plebiscite by 2020.

Senator Katy Gallagher hopes to move towards a republic by sparking life to the debate before moving towards a plebiscite in 2020 and eventually pushing for a referendum.

In light of this new movement, The Australians for Constitutional Monarchy will work hard to education Australians on why it is important to maintain the current system.

Gary Kent, the Canberra convener for the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy sees this new push as a distraction and explains that the current system is one that works.
“It’s a system that works, in fact, it’s worked for many hundreds of years and is a system that is not broken.

The Contrasting view makes the debate a very passionate one and having this issue on the national agenda will prove to be divisive if the 1999 debate is anything to go by.

[Filed on 2 October 2015]