Australian Republican Movement
| Australian Republican Movement | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Chairperson | Geoff Gallop[1] |
| National Director | David Morris[2] |
| Founded | July 1991 |
| Headquarters | Canberra,  Australia |
| Ideology | Australian republicanism |
| Website | |
| Australian Republic | |
The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) is a non-partisan lobby group advocating constitutional change in Australia to a republican form of government, from a constitutional monarchy.
History
Foundation
The ARM was founded in July 1991, following the Australian Labor Party's adoption of republicanism as a policy at its conference in June of that year.
The ARM's first chairman was the novelist Thomas Keneally, with other founding members including the investment banker (and later Federal Opposition Leader) Malcolm Turnbull, the former Australian cricket captain, Ian Chappell, and the film director Fred Schepisi. It is currently headed by Geoff Gallop, a former premier of Western Australia, who replaced Maj.-Gen. Michael Keating.[1]
In 1993, the Republic Advisory Committee was created by the Keating Labor government, the Committee laid the foundations for proposed Constitutional change.
1999 referendum
Although opinion polls showed that many Australians favoured becoming a republic,[3] divisions emerged in the Movement between those who favoured indirect election of the President by Parliament, and those who favoured direct election by the people.[4] This led to Australian voters rejecting at a referendum in 1999 a constitutional amendment to a specific form of republic described by some as the "minimalist" model because it involved the least change to the constitution of the various republican models proposed.
Policy
The ARM seeks to bring about an Australian republic through two plebiscites and a referendum, providing the population direct input to any decision on a republic.[5]
They propose a three-stage process:[5]
- A non-binding plebiscite on the threshold question of do you want Australia to become a republic with an Australian Head of State?
- A second plebiscite on the form of a republic including the selection method (following the full development of forms of a republic, including the selection method, by experts).
- A referendum offering a choice between adopting the form of republic approved by the second plebiscite or remaining a constitutional monarchy.
Arguments
The ARM argues that Australia should become a Republic with the Australian head of state (currently Elizabeth II) who is an Australian citizen and resident.
Affiliations
The ARM is a member of Common Cause, an alliance of Commonwealth republican movements, each seeking to change their country's status as a Commonwealth Realms to Commonwealth republics. The ARM is not associated with any political party.
References
- ^ a b Gallop to lead republicans – The West Australian. Published 26 November 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ "Republicans set to ramp up campaign". The Australian. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ "Polls on a republic 1999 - 2002" (PDF). Newspoll. November 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- ^ Vizard, Steve, Two Weeks in Lilliput: Bear Baiting and Backbiting At the Constitutional Convention (Penguin, 1998, ISBN 0-14-027983-0)
- ^ a b "Australian Republican Movement Policy". February 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
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