ARM
Media Statement - 26 July 1999
Yes
Coalitions established as part of referendum push
for an Australian republic
The Australian Republican Movement
today welcomed establishment of broad, community representative
Yes Coalitions in each State and Territory to advocate
and campaign for a Yes vote in November's republic
referendum.
The Yes Committees - most of which will be launched
by the middle of August - comprise a wide array of
community leaders and organisations who have come
together to ensure that an Australian (instead of
King Charles III) becomes our next Head of State.
The Yes Coalitions include the Australian Republican
Movement, other republican groups, representatives
of business, trade unions, ethnic and indigenous groups,
the churches, young people and youth organisations,
people from sport, the law, teaching, academia and
local government.
The national communications director of the Australian
Republican Movement, Wayne Burns, said some Yes Coalitions
have been in the pipeline since last year's Constitutional
Convention, with discussions and negotiations on membership
gathering pace since the beginning of this year.
"Now
that the Federal Government's public education campaign
on the republic is set for early September, it is
timely that the Yes Coalitions are launching," Mr
Burns said. "They will be getting out the message
that a broad sweep of the community supports Australia
becoming a republic with an Australian president to
replace the British monarch as our Head of State."
Mr Burns said Yes Coalitions in each State and Territory
will play a key role on the overall Yes campaign.
The campaign will be a joint effort between a number
of groups and organisations committed to seeing Australia
take the next logical step in its national development.
The Yes Coalitions will organise events and activities
at the community and State and Territory level as
well as explain that the proposal to be voted on in
November:
-
replaces
the Queen with an Australian president to be nominated
by the public and approved by a bi-partisan majority
in the Parliament;
-
improves
on the current system because under the proposal,
the Prime Minister cannot appoint (or replace)
whoever she or he may want as Governor General;
-
will
deliver a president who is above politics because
both sides of politics must agree to approve the
candidate emerging from the public nomination
process, meaning the president will not be a political
appointee.
Mr Burns said unlike the organised No case, Yes Coalitions
are advocating a positive message for the nation.
"The Yes Coalitions believe Australians have the commonsense
and the intelligence to run our system of government
without needing the Queen or the next monarch, King
Charles III, to be at the top of our constitutional
arrangements.
"It
is a pity that the monarchists and other No case advocates
do not believe we can manage our own affairs without
the need for a foreign Head of State. This is one
of the key issues to be decided in November. The Australian
Republican Movement welcomes establishment of Yes
Coalitions to take this message to Australians."
Authorised by Malcolm Turnbull, Australian
Republican Movement, 60 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000
