ARM Media Statement - 26 October 1999

The Prime Minister's statement on the republic fails to address the Big Lie, which is central to the No Case.

The chairman of the Australian Republican Movement released the following statement in response to the Prime Minister's statement today about his support for a No vote on November 6. Mr Howard's statement mostly repeats the mantra of the official No case advocates:

The Prime Minister states he understands why direct election republicans are voting No. But the basis of the promise being made by the No Campaign is that if Australians vote No they will get a directly elected President. The Prime Minister has repeated his longstanding opposition to directly electing the President. Mr Howard said at the Constitutional Convention on February 2, 1998:

"The published opinion polls tell us that there is overwhelming support for the popular election of a president. That may well be so. It is likely that it is due to the mistaken belief on the part of many people that the popular election of a president would deliver an impeccably neutral, non-party-political head of state who would impartially soar above the whole political firmament. Nothing could be further from reality."

"An elected presidency seems to me to be a sure way of politicising the office and creating unparalleled tensions."

Will there be another Referendum if the No vote wins?

Yet his allies in the monarchist cause, including Kerry Jones at the Deliberative Poll in Canberra on Sunday, are contending that Mr Howard would be prepared to put a direct election referendum to the people.

The question the Prime Minister must answer is: If the referendum is defeated, will he put a second republic referendum incorporating direct election of the President?

Unless he is prepared to tell the truth, which is that he has no such intention of ever proposing a direct election model to the people, he will be completely complicit in the Big Lie which is the keystone of the monarchist campaign.

Public Nomination is not a sham

It is also disappointing that Mr Howard has such complete contempt for the Australian people that he has described the public nomination process in the republic on offer - which gives every Australian entitled to vote, the opportunity to nominate candidates for president - as something which can be ignored.

Mr Howard recently lectured his Party Room on the need for political leaders to show humility. And yet here he is saying that legislation, prepared and sponsored by his Government, which allows public nominations for the office of president, would be ignored by him. In fact, he would treat the public's choice with contempt.

The Republic will deliver excellent presidents

He also states that the republic to be voted on in 11 days will not produce good candidates. Here he contradicts former Governor General Sir Zelman Cowen, and former Chief Justices Sir Anthony Mason and Sir Gerard Brennan. Indeed, these are exactly the calibre of Australian whom could well be president under the proposed republic.

Also ot odds on dismissal powers

Mr Howard's views on dismissal powers are a personal one. They are at odds with two individuals who know a little about the existing dismissal powers and those proposed - former prime ministers Malcolm Fraser and Gough Whitlam, who were at the centre of Australia's one major constitutional crisis in 1975. Both endorse the republic on offer and state that if it had been in place in 1975, the constitutional crisis would have not occurred.

Mr Howard's real motives are plain

He wants the Australian people to have no say whatsoever in who our Head of State should be. He wants to maintain his absolute right to appoint anyone he likes as the next Governor General.

The republic model clearly offends him because it requires the Prime Minister to have regard to the wishes of the people, and share the power of appointment with all sides of politics and with representatives of the people. It may also offend him that an Australian, nominated and selected by Australians is proudly the face of Australia to our own citizens, and to the world.

Authorised by Malcolm Turnbull, Australian Republican Movement, 60 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000