ARM Media Statement - 26 July 1999

Yes Coalitions established as part of referendum push for an Australian republic

The Australian Republican Movement today welcomed establishment of broad, community representative Yes Coalitions in each State and Territory to advocate and campaign for a Yes vote in November's republic referendum.

The Yes Committees - most of which will be launched by the middle of August - comprise a wide array of community leaders and organisations who have come together to ensure that an Australian (instead of King Charles III) becomes our next Head of State.

The Yes Coalitions include the Australian Republican Movement, other republican groups, representatives of business, trade unions, ethnic and indigenous groups, the churches, young people and youth organisations, people from sport, the law, teaching, academia and local government.

The national communications director of the Australian Republican Movement, Wayne Burns, said some Yes Coalitions have been in the pipeline since last year's Constitutional Convention, with discussions and negotiations on membership gathering pace since the beginning of this year.

"Now that the Federal Government's public education campaign on the republic is set for early September, it is timely that the Yes Coalitions are launching," Mr Burns said. "They will be getting out the message that a broad sweep of the community supports Australia becoming a republic with an Australian president to replace the British monarch as our Head of State."

Mr Burns said Yes Coalitions in each State and Territory will play a key role on the overall Yes campaign. The campaign will be a joint effort between a number of groups and organisations committed to seeing Australia take the next logical step in its national development.

The Yes Coalitions will organise events and activities at the community and State and Territory level as well as explain that the proposal to be voted on in November:

• replaces the Queen with an Australian president to be nominated by the public and approved by a bi-partisan majority in the Parliament;

• improves on the current system because under the proposal, the Prime Minister cannot appoint (or replace) whoever she or he may want as Governor General;

• will deliver a president who is above politics because both sides of politics must agree to approve the candidate emerging from the public nomination process, meaning the president will not be a political appointee.

Mr Burns said unlike the organised No case, Yes Coalitions are advocating a positive message for the nation. "The Yes Coalitions believe Australians have the commonsense and the intelligence to run our system of government without needing the Queen or the next monarch, King Charles III, to be at the top of our constitutional arrangements.

"It is a pity that the monarchists and other No case advocates do not believe we can manage our own affairs without the need for a foreign Head of State. This is one of the key issues to be decided in November. The Australian Republican Movement welcomes establishment of Yes Coalitions to take this message to Australians."

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