Malcolm Turnbull is the Chairman of the Australian Republican Movement

The head of state issue is one of great importance to all Australians, but perhaps even more so to Australians who are not from the United Kingdom. Australia's tolerant, multi-cultural society is this nation's greatest pride. Attacks on multi-culturalism must be resisted for they are an attack on the nation itself. If we are create a sense of national unity and national pride among all Australians, regardless of their background, then we must ensure that all of our national symbols are unequivocally Australian.

The monarchy is not an Australian institution. The Queen does not live here and owes her first and over riding loyalty to another country. The world sees her, as most Australians see her, as the Queen of England, not of Australia. The institution of the English monarchy is the very opposite of the Australian values we value most. It is neither democratic, tolerant nor egalitarian. The law of England states that to be the Queen or the King you have to be a member of the Anglican Church and you are definitely not permitted to marry a Roman Catholic.

How seriously do the monarchists take our Constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion when the institution they so admire is thoroughly sectarian?

Later this year, in December we are told, the Government will hold a convention to discuss, among other things, the question whether Australia should continue to have the Queen (or King) of England as its head of state or whether it should have an Australian citizen chosen by Australians in that position.

Naturally, the Australian Republican Movement is pleased that at long last Mr Howard is honouring his election promise to hold such a convention. Only a few months ago he was showing every sign of either abandoning the convention altogether or having it entirely appointed by the Government. As it is the convention will not be a real "people's convention" because only half of its delegates will be elected. The balance will be appointed by the Government.

One must ask why the Government wants to have this issue decided by a half-elected, half appointed convention rather than by Parliament every single one of whose members was directly elected by the people. If John Howard were to make this issue a conscience vote in Parliament he knows that the republicans would carry the day because of the large number of republicans in the ranks of the Liberal and National Party members.

Another approach, which we would have preferred, is that of directly consulting the people in a plebiscite. Every Australian could be asked to vote "Yes" or "No" to the question: Do you believe that Australia's Head of State should cease to be the monarch of the United Kingdom and instead be an Australian citizen, chosen by Australians and exercising the same powers and duties as the Governor-General does today."

Again, Mr Howard did not want to take this approach because he knows that an overwhelming majority of Australians would vote "Yes".

Even the electoral method chosen for the convention is unsatisfactory. The Australian way of voting is by a compulsory secret ballot. The elected delegates will be chosen by a voluntary postal ballot. This means that there is the risk of interference with ballot papers and also the risk that people will not be able to vote independent of outside pressure from their family, friends or carers. Old people in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to this kind of pressure.

However the ARM will be field a ticket of candidates for the convention in every State and Territory. The ticket will be balanced in terms of gender, age, political conviction and of course ethnic background. Opinion polls have shown that support for the republic is much stronger among Australians who are not of United Kingdom ethnic background.

As Robert Hughes observed last year, it may not be correct to say that the monarchy is a racist institution (although it is undoubtedly sectarian). However it is absolutely true that the republican cause is the very opposite of racist. Why? Because we seek to have a head of state whose only qualification is that he, or she, is an Australian citizen chosen by Australians. And in our very diverse society the only thing we have in common is that commitment to Australia and its values.

Howard's convention is far from perfect. But republicans have to campaign wherever this cause is in issue. A large vote for republican candidates will ensure that the momentum towards a republic will be irreversible and that in 2001 we will usher in the new millennium with an Australian citizen as our head of state.