The Queen's Portrait

Allison Henry's Statement to Ashfield Council
22 November 2005^*

Councillors, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.

The Australian Republican Movement welcomes initiatives that reflect the evolution of Australian institutions and practices to better reflect our contemporary national character and aspirations.

While the ARM campaigns primarily for constitutional reform to replace Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, with an Australian Head of State, we also welcome non-constitutional aspects of republicanism.

In recent decades we have seen these non-constitutional developments in many areas. For example, in private organisations, professional associations and sporting bodies like racecourses and golf clubs dropping the "royal" prefix.

We have seen Queen's Counsel become Senior Counsel.

At a state level, the NSW Government has led the way. Last year it announced that Crown lands would from now on be known as state lands, doing away with colonial office philosophies inherited from the eighteenth century.

Similarly, it passed the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act, which replaced the Royal arms of the United Kingdom with state arms or state symbols on public buildings such as courthouses and offices. Australian symbols on Australian buildings.

And the Constitution Amendment (Pledge of Loyalty) Bill 2004 is presently before the NSW Parliament. If passed, this Bill will remove the reference to the Queen in oaths of allegiance taken by parliamentarians and other public officials.

Whether or not Australia becomes a republic in the near future there is no doubt that Australian institutions will continue to change in order to reflect our increasingly republican spirit.

The decision of Ashfield Council to remove the Queen's portrait from Council Chambers and replace it with more contemporary art forms which reflect its diverse multicultural and indigenous communities is one such change, simply a reflection of our evolving national identity, albeit at a local level.

Our support for this move should not be seen - or portrayed by our opponents - as a mark of disrespect for the Queen; it is nothing of the sort. We accept that she is held in high esteem and affection by many Australians. But polling consistently demonstrates that Australians in 2005 would prefer an Australian Head of State, one of us, determined by us and representing only us.

Some opponents of these moves think that nothing should ever change until Australians have voted to become a republic. If that was the case we would never have changed our national anthem from God Save the Queen to Advance Australia Fair.

We have moved on, and it's only natural that our symbols should move with us.

Opponents to these moves also claim that there is no mandate for these changes. Well here in Ashfield, I believe there is. During the 1999 republican referendum, Ashfield Council was overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed change to a republic. The seats of Grayndler and Lowe represented two of the highest YES votes in the state. In Grayndler the YES vote of 64.77% was one of the highest in the country, and every single booth voted YES. Including the four booths in Ashfield.

In addition, and in conclusion, the Councillors who make up Ashfield Council and who by majority took this decision, have been democratically chosen by local residents to represent them and their interests. That's more than can be said for Queen Elizabeth or a future King Charles.

I urge you to reject the rescission motion tonight.

Allison Henry is the National Director of the Australian Republican Movement

^* Ashfield Council in Sydney's Inner West voted on the 8 November 2005 to remove a portrait of the Queen from Council Chambers, and replace it with more contemporary art forms which reflected the community's diverse multicultural and indigenous character. On 22 November Ashfield Council heard debate on a rescission motion that would have restored the Queen's portrait to Council Chambers. The motion was defeated 6-5 and the Queen's portrait was removed.