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ARM 15th Anniversary Speech
Speech by Ted O’Brien, Menzies Hotel Sydney
7 July 2006
Let me quote from Charles Dickens in "A Tale of Two Cities":
"It was the best of times, It was the worst of times,
It was the age of wisdom, It was the age of foolishness
It was the epoch of belief, It was the epoch of incredulity,
It was the season of light, It was the season of darkness
It was the spring of hope, It was the winter of despair,
We had everything before us, We had nothing before us"
Good evening fellow Republicans, Ladies & Gentlemen:
Here we are commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Australian Republican Movement, the ARM.
The 15 years during which the ARM has been campaigning is but only the latest chapter in a narrative of Australian Republicanism that dates back to the mid eighteen hundreds. While this narrative has not been a continuous one, in its various shapes and forms, it still poses as a longstanding historical backdrop to the 15 years of ARM activity. And, not unlike generations of Republicans that have gone before, our campaign has had its highs and lows.
As it stands today, the issue of a Republic is not centre stage for Australia. It is not top of the political agenda, it does not enjoy multi-partisan support and it is not a BBQ stopper in Aussie backyards across the country.
Now the faint of heart could therefore be excused for feeling like it’s all just too hard. That, in the words of Dickens, it is the worst of times.
We, however, are not faint of heart. Our view remains an optimistic one - not in some romantic providential sense, indeed the "inevitable republic" is a foolish myth. Rather, our optimism is a proactive one that comes with gritty determination and a deep passion.
But, determination and passion is not enough. We also need to be smart. We need to channel our thinking, energy and resources in the right direction. And, I believe we are doing this.
Here is where it starts: with our vision.
The vision of the ARM, the sole objective of our existence, is to have an Australian Head of State – and that’s it, pure and simple, to replace the British Monarch with one of our own, a fellow Australian.
It is simple, yet also compelling. You see, what an "Australian Head of State" means is that we vest the sovereignty of our nation, not in a foreign monarch, but in the Australia people. For individual Australians, it means knowing we are represented at the apex of our system by a fellow Australian, and that we ourselves can strive for the highest office in the land. For the nation as a whole, it means entrenching our national identity and our values as a people in our own political system. And, in this way, the core of our Republican vision is not about the Monarchy, it’s about us. It’s not about being anti-British or anti-Queen, it’s about being staunchly pro-Australian and wanting power to ultimately reside with the Australian people.
To realise this vision, our current strategy is to advocate a process that consists of plebiscites - that is, non-binding national polls - that ask the people if they want a Republic in the first place, and, if they answer Yes, what type of Republic they want, before they again vote at Referendum. Such a process as this reconciles with the overarching theme of people sovereignty, because it hands over ownership to the Australian people: Let the people decide whether we become a Republic and what type of Republic that should be.
This strategy requires us to be activists, before intellectuals. And our job as activists is three fold:
- Firstly, we need to engage the everyday Australian in the debate and thus we need to be as good with our communications, with the sales and marketing of our vision, as we are with debating the ins-and-outs of constitutional reform.
- Secondly, we need to unite Republicans, and build relationships inside and outside the ARM, based on trust and open mindedness.
- Thirdly, we need to effectively lobby parliament to reignite the political process required to become a Republic, and to do so in a spirit of multi-partisanship. An Australian Republic is not a natural fit with any one political party. Whether you are Liberal or Labour, National or Democrat, Family First or Green – it matters not. The issue of an Australian Republic transcends the usual fault lines that divide political parties, and it should therefore be supported by all parties.
Ladies & Gentlemen, let me say a few words about the status of the ARM as an organization. More than any time in history, the movement for an Australian Republic is lead by a truly national, democratic and grassroots organisation.
We are currently amid a process of organisational renewal at the ARM, an initiative we’re calling the Re-focus Program. And it’s about re-focusing our limited resources in the most effective way possible. For example:
- After 15 years of being based here in Sydney, we are now relocating the ARM’s Head Office to Canberra, so that we can consolidate our lobbying efforts and more proactively walk the halls of federal parliament.
- We are re-focusing the National Office by replacing the position of "National Director" with a new position called "Executive Officer", with a stronger administrative focus –
- Thus pushing greater responsibility to the National Committee, the ARM’s board of directors, where each director will now be asked to take responsibility for a specific portfolio area.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am as confident about our organization and our strategy, as I am inspired by the vision that unites us. But, life isn’t easy. As many of you know, we continue to survive on an oily rag - relying on the raffles, trivia nights, movie events and sausage sizzles. Especially when it comes to finances, times are tough. But, we’re rising to the challenge as only a grassroots people movement knows how.
15 years have gone and we’re still here. We’re not celebrating our birthday tonight, we’re commemorating it. After all, we don’t want birthdays. The sooner we complete our march to an Australian Republic the better. In this way, we’re actually in the business of going out of business.
And so, as Republicans, on this, the 15th anniversary of the ARM, let us re-commit to the vision of a Republic with an Australian Head of State. And let us do so with optimism. For I genuinely believe we have everything before us. And when our march is complete, we will stand together at the dawn of a new era. And it will be the best of times, an age of wisdom, an epoch of belief and a spring of hope.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for being here tonight and thank you for your ongoing support.
Ted O’Brien is the Chair of the Australian Republican Movement
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