Australian Republican Movement

Foundation

The ARM was founded on July 7, 1991, following the Australian Labor Party's adoption of republicanism as a policy at its conference in June that year. Its first chairman was novelist Thomas Keneally, with other founding members including investment banker (and later Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull, former Australian cricket captain, Ian Chappell, and film director Fred Schepisi. At December 2012 it was headed by Peter FitzSimons, who replaced a former premier of Western Australia, Geoff Gallop. He in turn replaced retired MAJGEN Michael Keating.

1999 referendum

Although opinion polls ahead of the 1999 republic referendum appeared to show that many Australians favoured becoming a republic, divisions emerged in the Movement between those who favoured indirect election of the President by Parliament, and those who favoured direct election by the people. This led to Australian voters rejecting at a referendum in 1999 a constitutional amendment to a specific form of republic described by some as the "minimalist" model because it involved the least change to the constitution of the various republican models proposed. Of 13 million voters, 1 million more voted to retain a Constitutional Monarchy with each of the six states and the Northern Territory voting against a republic. Only the Australian Capital Territory supported a republic in the referendum.

Policy

The ARM seeks to bring about an Australian republic through two plebiscites and a referendum, providing the population direct input to any decision on a republic.

They propose a three-stage process:

1. A non-binding plebiscite on the threshold question: "Do you want Australia to become a republic with an Australian Head of State?"
2. A second plebiscite on the form of a republic including the selection method (following the full development of forms of a republic, including the selection method, by experts).
3. A referendum offering a choice between adopting the form of republic approved by the second plebiscite or remaining a constitutional monarchy.

Arguments

The ARM argues that Australia should replace the Monarch and Governor-General to become a republic with a head of state who is an Australian citizen and resident. Since the Referendum, support for a republic has declined.

Affiliations

The ARM is a member of Common Cause, an alliance of Commonwealth republican movements, each seeking to change their country's status as Commonwealth realms to Commonwealth republics. The ARM is not associated with any political party.