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I
acknowledge that we are on Ngunnawal land.
After the Convention
of 1998, I went to Scotland to meet with several of
those who had worked to ensure a YES vote for devolution
- a far easier task by the way, than the one we have
set ourselves in Australia.
The overwhelming message was that an umbrella organisation
was required which embraced all Republicans. I guess
this gathering is as near as we will get to that, and
I am pleased to be here to meet with Republicans from
many groups around Australia. Thank you John Warhurst
and the organisers for making this happen.
This year marks the 350th anniversary of that brief
period between King Charles I and King Charles II, beginning
in 1649, when Britain was a Republic. Oliver Cromwell
and later Richard Cromwell served as Lord Protector
until King Charles II was restored on 29th May, 1660.
The Republic was short lived, and its chief advocate
and prosecutor, the Solicitor General John Cook, was
subsequently hanged. No such fate awaits today's advocates.
How do we win? How do we get a YES vote? I've identified
five p's:
-
Passion
-
Pride
-
Persuasion
-
Positivity
-
Pulling
Together
Passion
I believe passionately that this is a question of national
maturity and national identity.
I believe with a passion that our deepest respect is
for our Australian heritage. Our deepest responsibility
is to Australian's future. Our deepest affection is
for Australia.
I believe with a passion that we need an Australian
Head of State. We have to feel it here in our gut. We
have to be seen to feel it here in our gut. We have
to convince Australians to feel it in their gut.
Pride
We must focus on our achievements. We must feel pride
on the achievements of Australians.
I have just spent 6 weeks in the UK - I saw the word
Australia twice in newspapers - regarding cricket, of
course - but also in parenthesis after "Cairns" to explain
the country to which the Brit lost on the Kakoda Trail
had been taken.
But outside the newspapers I saw it everywhere - marking
the achievements of many fantastic Australians, particularly
in the theatres. I was honoured to have been invited
to deliver the Australia Day Address at the Britain-Australia
Society by Philip Flood. I will quote him:
"There
are Australians heading major businesses in Britain,
the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge is an Australian,
your Government's Chief Scientific Adviser is Australian,
in the major current film about Elizabeth I - Cate
Blanchett plays Elizabeth with Geoffrey Rush in support,
Nichole Kidman was an oustanding success on the stage
recently, we continue to produce outstanding poets,
painters, dancers and musicians who are prominent
here, the Curator of European Art at the National
Gallery is Australian, your judges often quote Australian
judgements, our best chefs are known here, and so
on. Britain was generous last year in its recognition
of the achievements of Lord Florey, the Australian
who developed penicillin as an antibiotic. Books by
Australian writers do well here - in the past year
Eucalyptus by Murray Bail, Jack Maggs by Peter Carey,
Altar Ego by Kathy Lette, Mr Darwin's Shooter by Roger
McDonald and Tom Kenneally's The Great Shame."
How embarrassing to not have an Australian Head of State.
Persuasion
We must persuade all Australian Republicans, regardless
of the model they prefer, to support the YES vote.
Christine Gilgren has stated and Neville Wran has re-emphasised
that if we achieve a YES vote there will be an opportunity
to re-convene and re-examine our Republic within a few
years.
Positivity
- or Optimism
We need to emphasise the positives.
If the people do not - as they've said over and over
- want a politician as Head of State, we have to explain
that the model proposed is the way to ensure this. We
need to emphasise the positives of the model.
-
It
involves minimum change - it is just a small step
- which is how we change things in Australia.
-
It
is similar to the current system which has thrown
up very few "duds". That is, it would guarantee
the same quality people as we've had as Governors-General.
-
The
President won't think he's more powerful than the
Prime Minister.
-
It
guarantees that the President won't be a politician.
Achieving a positive vote at the referendum will be
difficult - of course it will be difficult - life is
difficult. If you don't want difficult - don't get out
of bed in the morning.
I was very disappointed in the small number of business
leaders at the Constitutional Convention. Lindsay Fox,
who was present, reminded me that Henry Ford said:
"Whether
you think you can or you can't - you're right".
Frank Devine once described Paul Keating as a black
belt power speaker - We need some power speakers. We
need to use active verbs. We need to convince people
of how exciting it will be to have a Head of State who
is one of us - who lives here.
We won't get a positive result if we appear downtrodden
and mealy mouthed. We will if we pull together.
Onwards to the YES vote.
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