Chair's Report
2005 National Republican Lecture
2005 Republican Raffle
ARM Annual General Meeting 2005
Branch Council Election results
ARM Membership renewals
News
What's On
Contact Us

Welcome to Republican Roundup, the monthly e-newsletter of the Australian Republican Movement.

Each September is a time for reflection and transition for ARM. The end of our official year involves elections and that usually leads to transition for the organisation and this is the case this year. It is also the time when we learn how we have fared financially, which is crucial to our continued ability to fight the good fight for the republican cause.

Transition is positive for the health of ARM as new people step up. The recent branch council elections and associated retirements and resignations have led to some new faces. We welcome new branch convenors in South Australia (Louise Mathwin) and New South Wales (Adam Wand) as well as the return of Peter Van Vliet in Victoria. We look forward to their contribution - already their energy is obvious.

We've had a good year financially! We have had our best financial result since the referendum. The details will be reported to our Annual General Meeting on 26 November in Sydney. The good result reflects some important initiatives, such as the national republican raffle. More importantly it shows the hard work of members and supporters in organising functions and spreading the word in the community.

At our last National Committee meeting on 29 September the three executive positions were up for election. I thank Anne Henderson and Ted O'Brien who were re-elected for another year as Deputy Chairs. And I thank the NC for putting its confidence in me for another term as Chair.

At the national committee meeting we took our planning for 2006 further, especially our next big issue which will be the debate that will inevitably accompany the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March 2006. The ARM needs to tackle the public debate both sensitively and energetically. Some of the focus will be on Melbourne, lead by the Victorian ARM. But we envisage activities and debate in other states too.

Many ARM members have been in touch with us regarding the Queen's recent congratulations to the English cricket team after they won the Ashes. A few were concerned that we had not made a bigger deal of the reports, highlighting the fact that the Queen had never been known to congratulate the Australian cricket team on their successes. We decided in what was a busy media week that we would not get enough traction with the issue, but we have noted it and will be sure to bring it up again next year when the Queen visits.

Sadly, Donald Horne AO passed away last month. Donald Horne's involvement in the republican movement in Australia began with the publication of The Lucky Country in 1964, which opened up for the first time a wide public discussion on an Australian republic. In the decades following he was a prolific and outspoken proponent of an Australian republic. Donald Horne was both a Founding and Honoured Life Member of the ARM. We issued a media release on 8 September expressing the ARM condolences.

Following the changes in NSW I have made contact with Morris Iemma (Premier), John Watkins (Deputy Premier) and Peter Debnam (Opposition Leader) expressing our wish to work with them on republican issues.
Special thanks to the Gold Coast Forum who extended their hospitality to me at an extremely successful function in Tweed Heads with Jim Soorley, former Brisbane Lord Mayor. It was a real pleasure to say a few words at the lunch and to sit down afterwards with the committee. Thanks again to all involved.

We can't rest. 2006 needs to be as good or even better than 2005. Please support the ARM's campaign for an Australian Head of State by getting behind our republican raffle once again.

Best wishes

John Warhurst, ARM Chair
chair@republic.org.au

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The Annual General Meeting of the Australian Republican Movement will be held. at the Sydney Town Hall, George St Sydney, on Saturday 26 November 2005 between 4-5pm.

All financial members will shortly receive meeting notices, proxy forms and a copy of the ARM 2004-2005 accounts.

The AGM will be immediately followed by end of year drinks at the Treasury Bar at Sydney Town Hall, with members of the National Committee in attendance.

OCTOBER

ARM dinner with the Canberra Times' Jack Waterford
Date: Wednesday 12 October 2005
Time: 7pm
Venue: Turk'Oz Restaurant & Bar
Address: 26 Challis Street, Dickson
Cost: $50 per head, including Turkish Banquet, wine, beer & soft drinks
RSVP: republic@republic.org.au or (02) 9267 8022
Flyer