ARM Media Statement - 30 August 1999

Who will Save Our Gracious Queen?

Why are monarchists embarrassed about having a British Head of State?

Reports indicating the Prime Minister wants to change the Australian loyal toast to downgrade the Queen confirms the monarchy is irrelevant to Australia, and that an Australian should replace the Queen as Head of State.

Australian Republican Movement chairman, Malcolm Turnbull, said today reports that the Prime Minister wanted the loyal toast re-written so that Australia is toasted before the Queen confirms the British monarchy was no longer relevant to most Australians.

"First the Prime Minister decides that the Queen as our Head of State should not open the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games because it is more appropriate that an Australian does the job. Now he wants the Queen dropped from pride of place in the loyal toast," said Mr Turnbull.

"This surely tells Australians loud and clear that even John Howard, the nation's most public supporter of the monarchy, is abandoning the Queen because he realises that the British Crown is irrelevant to life in modern Australia."

Mr Turnbull said when even the most ardent supporters of the monarchy are too embarrassed to continue to highlight the monarch in our national symbols and institutions, it is clearly time to change the Constitution to make sure that it reflects the reality of life in Australia today.

"If the Prime Minister really agrees that the first allegiance of every Australian should be to our own country and to our own people, then he should be supporting an Australian Head of State, who unlike the Queen, has sole allegiance to our country and our people.

"The Queen's first allegiance as British Head of State rightly, is to her own country," said Mr Turnbull. "The Prime Minister and other No advocates fighting for our next Head of State be King Charles III need to explain why Australians do not deserve a Head of State who is Australian, whose one and only allegiance is to Australia."

He said people are wondering why, if the Prime Minister and other monarchists really do support the Queen remaining Head of State, they are avoiding any mention of her during the republic campaign and are now trying to even hide the fact that she is, without question, Australia's Head of State.

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