Australian head of state 'inevitable', says Republican movement head
The head of the Australian Republican Movement believes there is widespread support for a republic, calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to "seize this moment".
"We could actually do this now," Peter FitzSimons told ABC TV on Monday.
It comes after seven out of eight state and territory leaders signed a declaration calling for an Australian head of state.
ARM leader Peter FitzSimons. Picture: Laurie Benson/The West Australian
Every State and Territory leader has signed a declaration in favour of an Australian republic apart from Colin Barnett.
Mr FitzSimons said yesterday he was bemused by the refusal given that the WA Premier was an affirmed republican.
But he said the signature of every other leader sent a very strong message to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the question of what kind of political support he would get for pursuing a republic.
Premier Colin Barnett. Picture: Megan Powell/The West Australian.
The declaration reads: “We, the undersigned Premiers and Chief Ministers of Australia, believe that Australia should have an Australian as our head of state.”
Mr FitzSimons described it as a “declaration of desired independence”.
“All of Australia’s political leaders now support an Australian head of state, including Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten,” he said.
“Never before have the stars of the Southern Cross been so aligned in pointing to the dawn of a new republican age for Australia.”
Malcolm Turnbull meets the Queen at CHOGM in Malta. Picture: British Monarchy/Twitter
Despite leading the ARM from 1993 to 2000, Mr Turnbull has indicated a republic is not a priority of his Government and speculated another referendum would not be held until after the death of the Queen.
It is not the first time Mr Barnett has confounded his colleagues in the republican movement.
Many are still scratching their heads over why he decided to name Perth’s once-in-a-lifetime waterfront development after the Queen.
A spokesman for Mr Barnett denied the Premier had refused to sign for fear of offending Buckingham Palace in the week Elizabeth Quay is to be officially opened, on Friday.
Mr Barnett said in a statement it was a matter of record that he supported Australia becoming a republic and he had been very active in promoting the cause leading up to the 1999 referendum.
“While I was extremely disappointed at the outcome of that referendum, I accepted it as a democratic expression of the public will,” he said.
“While I believe and hope that Australia will choose to become a republic in my lifetime, I do not think that the time is right, or that sufficient time has passed since the referendum, to be again prosecuting the argument for constitutional change.”
Morning news break - January 25
