The 1999 Australian republic referendum was a two question referendum held on 6 November 1999. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament, a model which had previously been decided at a Constitutional Convention in February 1998. The second question, generally deemed to be far less important politically, asked whether Australia should alter the constitution to insert a preamble. Neither of the amendments passed, with the 'no' side scoring about 55% of the vote. A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ... The debating chamber or hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels. ... In Australian history, the term Constitutional Convention refers to four distinct gatherings. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The preamble (Med. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by...

The divisions among the electorate

For some years, opinion polls had clearly suggested that the majority of the electorate favoured republicanism, but still the referendum was comfortably defeated. The majority of analysis has advanced two main reasons for this: Opinion polls are surveys of opinion using sampling. ...

Firstly, Australians have traditionally been cautious about proposed constitutional change: only 8 out of 43 referenda since 1909 have been approved by a majority of voters in a majority of states (as they must be to succeed). 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In Sir Robert Menzies' words, "to get an affirmative vote from the Australian people on a referendum proposal is one of the labours of Hercules." Rt Hon Robert Menzies Sir Robert Gordon Menzies (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia. ... Hercules and Cacus, by Baccio Bandinelli, 1525 - 1534. ...

Second, public opinion was not (and still is not) divided in a simple yes/no manner. The major opinion groups were:

• Traditional royalists who held their beliefs largely on sentimental attachment to the monarchy, in part based on traditional associations with the United Kingdom and a personal identification with Elizabeth II and her family. Many were older or from rural rather than urban areas.
• Pragmatic royalists who maintained that, whatever the argued weaknesses of the current system, it also had many strengths; following the motto of "If it isn't broken, don't fix it". The view of this group was that constitutional monarchy provides the basis for stable democratic government, with the Governor-General (the monarch's nominal representative) acting as an impartial, non-political "umpire" of the political process. Many claimed that republican government would lead to instability or even dictatorship and result in an undesirable politicisation of the office of head of state.
• Minimal change republicans who aimed to replace the monarch with an appointed Australian head of state, but otherwise maintain the current system as unchanged as possible. Within this group, there were a small group of supporters of the ultra-minimalist McGarvie Model, but generally the favoured model of these groups was appointment by a two-thirds majority of a joint sitting of Parliament.
• Progressive republicans who aimed to replace the monarch with an elected head of state.
• Radical republicans, who saw the minimal change option as purely cosmetic, and desired comprehensive revision to the current Westminister-based system. This was easily the smallest major group, but prominent in the debate.
• The Uncommitted - as in all electorates, a large proportion of the electorate remained unattached to either side. (Uncommitted 'swinging voters' are often the decisive force in shaping referenda results and election outcomes in democracies worldwide.)

The Sentiment for 18th century readers and writers is an equivalent for a strong romantic, usually exageratedly powerful feeling. ... A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and... Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... Look up urban in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article deals with democracy in general and its various forms. ... Dictatorship, in contemporary usage, refers to absolute rule by a leadership (usually a single dictator) unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state. ... The McGarvie Model is a proposition for change to the Australian Constitution to remove references to the monarchy and establish a republic. ... Cosmetic refers to beauty or appearance, especially concerning the human body. ...

Alternative methods for selecting a president

• Election
  • by the federal Parliament alone
  • by federal and state Parliaments (as in India)
  • by a popular vote (as in the Republic of Ireland)

• Selection
  • by the Prime Minister
  • by consensus among the Government and Opposition
  • by a constitutional council (known as the McGarvie Model)

Different groups within the republican cause expressed views as to which one was preferable. Some were committed to one option exclusively. This article is about the political process. ... The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The McGarvie Model is a proposition for change to the Australian Constitution to remove references to the monarchy and establish a republic. ...

The two sides

The 'Yes' side

The "yes" campaign was divided in detail but nevertheless managed to present a fairly united and coherent message, and was notable for unlikely alliances between traditional opponents - former Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser gave joint statements, for example. Many other prominent Australians also endorsed the yes vote - which, however, led to claims that the movement was "elitist" in sentiment and led by politicians rather than people. Viewing the case for a republic as fairly self-evident and broadly supported by the Australian populace, their advertising concentrated mainly on the positive symbolism of the republican case. Hon Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (born 11 July 1916), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia, was the only Australian Prime Minister to be dismissed by the Governor-General. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (born 21 May 1930), Australian politician and 22nd Prime Minister of Australia, came to power in the circumstances of the dismissal of the Whitlam government. ...

The 'No' side

The organised "No" campaign was a mixture of monarchist groups such as Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) and the Australian Monarchists League. Additionally it included some republican groups who did not feel that the proposed model was satisfactory, in particular they thought the people should elect the President. Headed by Kerry Jones of ACM, the "no" campaign concentrated on the alleged flaws of the model on offer, considering those who supported the "yes" push as "elites", and skilfully managing to appeal both to those apprehensive about the change on one hand, and those feeling the model didn't go far enough on the other. Their advertising emphasised voting no to "this republic", implying to direct-election supporters that a model more to their preferences was likely to be put in the future. Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) was founded in June 1992 to defend the Australian Constitution, the role of the Crown in it, and to preserve Australias constitutional head of state. ... Kerry Jones has been the national executive-director for Sydney-based Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) since The Hon. ...

The common elements within the no campaign were the view that the model proposed was undemocratic and would lead to a "politician's republic". "No" campaigners called for further consultation, while remaining non-specific on what steps were needed to ensure this.

The questions and results

The question on the republic put to electors was whether they approved of:

A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.

Electors were also asked to vote on a second question at the 1999 referendum which asked whether they approved of:

A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to insert a preamble.

In order to pass, each question required a majority 'Yes' vote, as well as a majority of states (four or more) to have a majority 'Yes' vote. Voters in the territories only count towards the national vote.

The result of the poll was clear: roughly 55% of the nation voted "no" and in only one territory, the ACT, was there a "yes" majority. This was broadly as expected: the real surprise was the distribution of the votes. As expected, traditionally conservative states and rural areas were strongholds for the constitutional monarchy; but wealthy city electorates mostly voted "yes", and blue-ribbon Labor seats in working-class suburbs voted "no". Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ...

Why the referendum was defeated

On the face of things, with republicans of one form or another in the clear majority, it might have been expected that the republican referendum would pass comfortably. However, few mainstream republicans were wholly agreed about the proposed mechanisms for replacing the monarch and Governor-General with either an appointed head of state (which was widely criticised as being undemocratic), or with an elected head of state (which was widely criticised as moving Australia away from the proven Westminster System toward an American-style presidential system). The Westminster System is a democratic system of government modelled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the UK parliament. ... A presidential system, or a congressional system, is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. ...

The former model (with an appointed head) was the one endorsed by the constitutional convention and put forward at the referendum. It was broadly supported by both minimalist and progressive republicans, including almost all Labor and a majority of conservative politicians, and opposed by royalists of both kinds (except to the extent that most voted for it to be the model recommended by the constitutional convention as they saw it as the model least likely to succeed), and the radical republicans (who reasoned that a simple cosmetic removal of the monarchy would make more far-reaching and substantial changes impossible).

The outcome was met with angst by the republicans. Some, notably Australian Republican Movement president Malcolm Turnbull, spoke bitterly in the aftermath, blaming Prime Minister Howard in particular for their defeat. Australians for Constitutional Monarchy leader Kerry Jones, for example, called for citizens to accept it and go forward "as a united nation". Despite the hopes of radical republicans such as Phil Cleary, the referendum defeat was generally viewed as a setback for the republican cause and no further referenda on the subject were mooted by the Howard government. Malcolm Turnbull (born 24 October 1954), Australian politician, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in October 2004 for the Division of Wentworth, New South Wales, representing the Liberal Party. ... Kerry Jones has been the national executive-director for Sydney-based Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) since The Hon. ... Phil Cleary is an Australian commentator on politics and sport, particularly Australian Rules Football. ...

See also

• Republicanism in Australia

Australian republicanism is a movement within Australia to replace the countrys existing status as a Commonwealth realm under a constitutional monarchy with a republican form of government. ...

External link

• Australian Electoral Commission Referendum '99 Report and Statistics