Media Alert - 17 September 2002

Tanner Hasn't Done His Homework

The ARM has rejected Lindsay Tanner's unwarranted and misinformed attack on the ARM in Parliament last night and in the media today.

The Chair of the ARM, Greg Barns said that it was a pity that someone of Mr. Tanner's erudition should have got his facts about the republican cause in 2002 so wrong.

Lindsay Tanner stated that the ARM should be "a popularly based, democratic movement driven by people who are known primarily for their commitment to the republican cause". Mr Barns in reply said that "if Lindsay had of taken the time to investigate or ask he would see that the ARM is just that, all committee and executive positions in the ARM are elected in open elections by its members."

The ARM has just had elections for its national committee this and a new committee will commence their appointments this week. Apart from a few ex-politicians and one serving MP, none of the other 14 members of the new National Committee are "sports stars, church leaders, writers, media celebrities, or fabulously wealthy", who Mr. Tanner complains run the ARM.

Had Tanner done his homework he would also have know that for a long period the ARM has not had a preferred model of how we pick our Australian Head of State. Last year the ARM released a discussion paper that embraces both direct and indirect election models.

Mr Barns said that the real purpose of Tanner's critique was "all about attacking a political opponent - Liberal Party Treasurer and former ARM Chair, Malcolm Turnbull. Malcolm Turnbull can speak for himself on the issues and respond to personal attacks but Tanner obviously thought that it would help to get at Turnbull via the ARM. Again he hasn't done his homework - Malcolm Turnbull hasn't been the Chair of the ARM for two years and is no longer on the National Committee - he remains an ordinary member."

More importantly Mr Barns said that Tanner's attack provides a warning for all republicans, but particularly as to the danger from those that want to use the debate over the republic for some partisan advantage. As long as opportunistic politicians of either side do so then the consensus required for a successful republican campaign will never eventuate.

Since the 1999 Republic Referendum the ARM has become a fully transparent, democratic group and importantly it has widened its policy platform and focussed on rebuilding its presence across the country. It has an active presence in every State and Territory and is building a strong presence in outer metropolitan and regional Australia. Only two weeks ago we re-launched a forum in Armidale NSW and had 35 old and members in attendance. Earlier this year we established a group in Mackay in North Queensland and last year groups in the Riverina in New South Wales, Penrith in Sydney's West, and Corryong in Victoria's north-east.

Mr Barns regarded Tanner's intemperate attack on the ARM all the more curious in that the Party to which he belongs - the ALP - has as its official policy, an Australian republic! But sadly, since the 1999 Referendum, Labor with the notable exceptions of Shadow Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and former Leader Kim Beazley, has been conspicous by its timidity in pushing the republican cause forward.

He said that "the only time we republicans hear from Labor leaders are when they put their head up to criticize our initiatives. Perhaps it would be more useful for Lindsay Tanner to let us know what he and his Labor colleagues can do to ensure that Australians have their own Head of State. "

Further Comment:
Greg Barns, Chair, 0419 691 846
Jim Terrie, National Director, 0411 240 970