Australians should have had more say about who will be the next – and, we hope, last – Governor-General appointed by a British monarch to represent him or her in Australia.
It’s bad enough that Prime Minister Morrison had to ask a British monarch for permission to announce David Hurley as her representative in Australia.
What’s worse is he did not have to ask any of us. Australians should have more say in decisions like this.
Read MoreThe Prime Minister should immediately guarantee the next Governor-General will be a citizen of Australia and should also rule out a 'captain's call' on the next Governor-General.
Monarchist boss David Flint – who advised former PM Tony Abbott to revive knighthoods, leading to the ‘Sir Prince Phillip’ fiasco – now says Australia’s next Governor-General should be an English royal, The Duke of Sussex - not an Australian citizen.
Read MoreThere is no place in modern Australia for institutions that divide us on religious grounds. Australian citizens, of any faith and no faith, are all equal here. Republic supporters believe that our constitution and laws should reflect this.
Australian Monarchists clearly disagree, however.
Read More“We can’t have this lingering deathwatch.”
The Queen has had her say. Australians should now have theirs.
Authoritative reports from senior royal reporter and author Robert Hardman reveal that Queen Elizabeth II dismisses the idea Australia should wait until after her death to become a republic with an Australian head of state.
Independent research confirms young Australians know the difference between enjoying a royal visit and voting for an Australian republic.
In every age group, more people agree that Australia should become a republic with an Australian as head of state than disagree.
And opposition to a republic is weakest among young people.
Read MoreAustralians were misled by a spokesman for Prince Charles in April this year - and now we know the truth and the price. A spokesman for the royals said the sojourn down south was a private visit “at no cost to the taxpayer”.
We now know that was not true.
Read MoreAustralia should replace royal birthdays with a public holiday of our own.
In 2019, Australian governments should join together with a new ‘Citizens Day’ holiday in
September to strengthen Australian citizenship. This could build on existing activities for the
anniversary of the Australian Citizenship Act in September 1948.
Read MoreThe Prime Minister should immediately rule out a 'captain's call' on the next Governor-General.
Media reports speculating that former Foreign Minister Bishop might be considered for the role and represent the Queen in Canberra reinforce the worst perception that Australia is in decline from a parliamentary democracy to a spoils system.
Read MoreThe Republic Movement calls on the Prime Minister to give Australians a say in the appointment of the next Governor-General.
Peter FitzSimons AM, National Chair of the Australian Republic Movement, has written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to propose that the Government conduct a vote of the Parliament, or a vote of the people, before the appointment of the next Governor-General.
Read MoreToday’s Guardian Essential Report shows support for an Australian republic rose in Royal wedding week.
Fewer Australians were undecided, while support for the monarchy was unchanged.
Read MoreOvernight a spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister has confirmed that when the Commonwealth heads of government meet in England later this week they will decide who will be head of the Commonwealth of Nations after the present Queen.
The 53 Commonwealth nations - including 32 Commonwealth republics - are about to make a democratic decision about their next head. That is a good thing, and their democratic decision should be respected. The position for Australians is the opposite.
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement welcomes Prince Charles to Australia for the Commonwealth Games.
The Games are a wonderful institution and the Commonwealth of Nations is a force for good in the world. It has long outgrown its origins as a colonial club. Two of its newest members, Rwanda and Mozambique, have no historical connection to Britain at all. Only 16 of the 53 member nations of the Commonwealth still have the British Monarch as their head of state: almost two-thirds are republics, including Gambia who rejoined in February this year.
Read MoreThe Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, has declined an invitation from the Australian Republic Movement to give a speech in Australia during his forthcoming visit to Australia. This is a great shame and says a great deal.
Read MoreA new poll shows the majority of Australians support an Australian republic, while support for the monarchy has fallen to its lowest recorded level.
Just 22 per cent of respondents disagree that Australia should be a republic with an Australian as head of state. 52 per cent agree that Australia should be a republic.
Read MoreBBC News reports overnight indicate the Commonwealth of Nations has set up a "high level group" to decide whether they want Prince Charles to become the head of the Commonwealth when the Queen, who turns 92 in April, dies.
The position of Head of the Commonwealth is not hereditary; the majority of Commonwealth countries are republics and there is no guarantee the position will pass to her son Prince Charles. The BBC reports concerns have been raised by member nations about the “democratic credibility” of the Commonwealth if the head role continues to be hereditary in practice.
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement (ARM) will oppose a monarchist proposal for a taxpayer-funded year-long “public education campaign” about “Constitution and Crown”.
Recently, the national chair of the Australian Monarchists League Philip Benwell wrote to all members of Parliament arguing for a year-long program. The letter has not been made public until now.
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement (ARM) welcomes the Prime Minister’s statement today that the next step towards an Australian republic could be a postal survey on how an Australian head of state should be chosen.
"The Prime Minister Mr Turnbull should now commit to a national vote on an Australian republic during the next Parliament,” said ARM Chair Peter Fitzsimons. "We are thrilled with the return of the PM – long the most passionate republican in the country; to moving forward the process of becoming a republic. The leaders on both sides of politics clearly want this to happen. Now it’s not a question of if, but how."
Read MoreThe Australian Republic Movement has today announced the formation of the Australian Republic Advisory Panel.
“The Australian Republic Advisory Panel brings together a group of leading Australians: people who are committed to an Australian head of state and who have agreed to serve as patrons for our cause,” said the ARM National Director Michael Cooney.
Read MoreDan Crowley is a year 12 Student at Xavier College in Melbourne.
His was the winning entry in the Australian Republic Movement's 2017 Republic Essay Competition. Year 11 and 12 students in Australian secondary schools were invited to submit an essay on the topic 'An Australian head of state will better represent Australian values and identity'.
Read MoreMillions of Coalition voters who believe Australia should have an Australian head of state will welcome reports Barnaby Joyce now says he supports a referendum on the republic.
Newspoll research undertaken in August 2017 showed that more Coalition voters favour an Australian head of state (48%) than oppose (43%). In the event that Prince Charles becomes Australia’s King, Newspoll shows that Coalition voters would overwhelmingly back a republic (56%), with only 36% opposed.
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