NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Australians for Constitutional Monarchy

Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) is a group that aims to preserve Australia's current constitutional system, with Britain's Queen Elizabeth 2 as head of state. Often derided by opponents as a well-funded 'old boys club' of establishment reactionaries, it characterises itself as a non-partisan, not-for-profit organisation that '...defends the Australian Constitution, the role of the Crown in it, and ... the role of the Queen of Australia, represented by the Governor-General, as Australia's constitutional head of state'. The National Council adopted the mission to preserve and defend what they perceive as Australian heritage, the constitutional system, the role of the Australian Crown in it, and the Australian flag. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Throughout the Commonwealth Realms The Crown is an abstract concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... Head of state or Chief of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political state. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... National flag and state ensign. ...

The ACM played the key role in the 'No Republic' campaign during the lead up to Australia's 1999 republic referendum, being the largest monarchist organisation at the 1998 Constitutional Convention. Kerry Jones, ACM's Executive Director was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the official Vote 'No' Committee, while Malcolm Turnbull became Chairman of the Vote 'Yes' Committee. Over 50,000 supporters worked in the ACM campaign across the Commonwealth, with full time directors being appointed in all states and the ACT, reporting to a full time National Campaign Director. Convenors were appointed in each of the electorates, 72% of which subsequently voted 'No.' Image File history File links ACM_Logo. ... Image File history File links ACM_Logo. ... The 1999 Australian referendum was a two question referendum held on 6 November 1999. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954), Australian politician, is the Federal Minister for Environment and Water Resources. ...

Past activities

Australians for Constitutional Monarchy was active in challenging Australia's republican organizations in the lead-up to the 1999 referendum.

The group also organized a public protest against the eviction of New South Wales Governor Gordon Samuels from Government House by Premier Bob Carr, in 1996. The march was one of the largest in Sydney history, and blocked Macquarie Street - a major road in the city centre.^[1] The campaign was revived in 2007, with a brochure being ditributed and candidates being asked their views in the state election. the flag of the Governor of New South Wales The Governor of New South Wales is the representative in the Australian state of New South Wales of Australias head of state, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. ... Gordon Jacob Samuels (born August 12, 1923, England). ... Government House is located in Sydney and was the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales, Australia. ... Before the 1890s, there was no formal party system in New South Wales. ... Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947), Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales from 25 March 1995 to 3 August 2005. ... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the most eastern street of Sydneys CBD. Extending from Hyde Park at its southern end to the Sydney Opera House at its northern end, Macquarie Street is arguably Australias most beautiful and prominent avenue. ... A view of the Sydney CBD from the Harbour Bridge, the Circular Quay is in the foreground Map of the CBD The Sydney central business district (CBD) extends southwards for about 2 km from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. ...

Current activities

Today, the organisation, which describes itself as a "grassroots community organization", continues to advocate the retention of constitutional monarchy as the preferred model of governance for Australia. This does not cite any references or sources. ...

Primary amongst the group's activities is the publication of news and information about Australia's constitution, government, and Crown. Such information is published largely on their official site in the form of information sheets, or by way of an opinion column from the National Convenor, and in its many publications. These include materials and books discussing a variety of topics related to Australia's Crown. During the referendum campaign, these included the Vote No papers, and Professor David Flint's Cane Toad Republic. After the referendum, Kerry Jones's story of the campaign, The People's Protest, was published. Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ...

ACM also holds events across Australia each year. The main event is an annual national conference that typically runs for three days, with many invited speakers from the Australian community. Past speakers have included Prime Minister John Howard and former official secretary to the Governor-General of Australia Sir David Smith. The last National Conference was held in Sydney in August, 2006. ACM's State Convenors are also responsible for the organisation of events that occur in each of the Australian states, and the Australian Capital Territory. Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ... Michael Jeffery, the current Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, who lives in the United Kingdom. ... Sir David Iser Smith KCVO, AO (born 9 August 1933) is a retired Australian public servant. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The states and territories of Australia make up the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 2 - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006) - Product ($m) $19,167 (6th) - Product per capita $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006) - Population 333,667 (7th) - Density 137. ...

ACM relaunched their official website in August, 2005, as a means of providing news, resources and opinion columns to the Australia community, and the following year launched their new journal, the Australian Constitutional Defender which complements its longstanding occasional news paper, Australian Constitutional Monarchy.

In December 2006, Tony Abbott, Minister for Health, launched an ACM monograph Her Majesty at 80: Impeccable Service in an Indispensable Office, with a foreword by Abbott, and written by Flint.^[2] For other people called Tony Abbott, see Tony Abbott (disambiguation). ... The Minister for Health and Ageing is a portfolio in the Government of Australia with the responsibility for national health policy. ...

Arguments

ACM argues against the proposal by some republicans to have a taxpayer funded series of plebiscites and referendums to achieve a republic, while also criticizing the lack of specific republican model. ACM also opposes the use of plebiscites, which it claims can be abused, and liken to a "blank cheque".^[3] They argue that the Constitution requires a referendum before any constitutional change, where all the details of change are given before and not after the vote. They also argue the republicans are demanding change, without having any idea of the change they want.^[4] ACM conducted an "information campaign" to inform voters of the perceived negative aspects of the plan, and during the 2004 federal election, approximately one million pamphlets on this subject were distributed in selected electorates. ACM also advises its supporters of which electoral candidates support the present constitutional monarchy. Legislative elections were held in Australia on 9 October 2004. ...

ACM currently makes a point of fighting what Michael Kirby called "a republic by stealth," which they define as subtle removal of the Crown from Australian life. These include removals of references to the Crown from oaths and legislation, the replacement of the position of Queen's Counsel in some states with that of Senior Counsel. More recently, one of their key campaigns has been opposing the removal of the Governor of New South Wales from Government House by the Carr government. For information about The Times satire Queens Counsel, see Queens Counsel (comic strip). ... The title of Senior Counsel (postnominal SC; è³‡æ·±å¤§å¾‹å¸« in Hong Kong Cantonese [1] [2]; é«˜çº§å¾‹å¸ˆ in Singapore Mandarin [3] [4]) or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, especially in Commonwealth countries or jurisdictions in which the British monarch is no longer head of state, such... the flag of the Governor of New South Wales The Governor of New South Wales is the representative in the Australian state of New South Wales of Australias head of state, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. ... Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947), Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales from 25 March 1995 to 3 August 2005. ...

ACM also objected to the plan by organizers of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, being held in Melbourne, to not include a playing of the Australian Royal Anthem at the opening of the Games, where the Queen would be present, declaring this to be a rebuff to the monarch. Young ACM supporters distributed sheets setting out the words of the National and Royal Anthems to the crowds going into the opening ceremony. In the end, the attendees in the stadium joined Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in singing Happy Birthday as well as eight bars of the Royal Anthem. In the same year, ACM led the opposition to the campaign by the Australian Republican Movement, named "A Mate for a Head of State." The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26, 2006. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... A royal anthem is a patriotic song, much like a national anthem that recognizes the nations monarch. ... Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa IPA: , ONZ, AC, DBE, (born March 6, 1944) is an internationally famous New Zealand opera singer. ... The Australian Republican Movement was founded in July 1991. ...

Membership

The original Foundation Council included people such as Michael Kirby (now a Justice of the High Court), Justice Lloyd Waddy, Dame Leonie Kramer, Barry O'Keefe, Helen Sham-Ho, and others, including the late Neville Bonner, Dr. Margaret Olley, Sir Harry Gibbs, and Sir John Atwill. The first National Executive Director was Tony Abbott, who served between 1992 and 1994, with Justice Waddy serving as the organisations first National Convenor. During Abbott's time, a group for under 30's - Young Australians for Constitutional Monarchy - was founded by Jason Groves. When he moved to the United Kingdom in 1998, he was succeeded by Julian Leeser. Groves has been UK Convenor of ACM since that time. This article is about Australian High Court judge Michael Kirby. ... High Court entrance The High Court of Australia is the final court of appeal in Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. ... Dame Leonie Judith Kramer (born 1 October 1924) is an Australian academic, educator and professor. ... Neville Bonner (28 March 1922 - 5 February 1999), Australian politician, was the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to the Parliament of Australia. ... Margaret Olley (1923 - ) is an Australian painter, her work is concentrated on the still life. ... The Right Honourable Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs, GCMG, AC, KBE (February 7, 1917 - 25 June 2005) was Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1981 to 1987 after serving as a member of the High Court between 1970 and 1981. ... For other people called Tony Abbott, see Tony Abbott (disambiguation). ...

When Abbott entered Australia's Federal Parliament in 1994 he was succeeded by Kerry Jones, with Justice Waddy later being succeeded by Professor David Flint, the current National Convener. In 2007, Thomas Flynn succeeded Kerry Jones as Executive Director. Kerry Jones has been the national executive-director for Sydney-based Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) since The Hon. ... Professor David Flint AM is a prominent Australian legal academic, best known for his controversial tenure as head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and as one of Australias most prominent and enthusiastic monarchists, in opposition to Australian republicanism. ...

Contents

Past activities

Current activities

Arguments

Membership

See also

External links

Footnotes

Contents

Past activities GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Current activities

Arguments

Membership

See also

External links

Footnotes

Past activities