Australia the Republic?

Main sources of information:

• Referendum99, the official government site.
• Australian Electoral Commission: Referendum, includes live results on election evening (6 November 1999)
• Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

Recent news articles of interest:

• Check out the many articles at the Melbourne Age site.

Organizations directly involved with the issue:

• On the Republican side -
  • The Yes Committee
  • Vote Yes for our Republic
  • Australian Republican Movement
  • The Australian Republic, "A citizen-centred alternative".
  • Republic For You

• On the Monarchy side -
  • Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
  • Monarchist League in Australia
  • Statusquo pro-monarchy in Australia and beyond.

Background information:

• Important articles from the Parliamentary Research Service at the parliamentary Library:
  • Background Paper 11, 1997-98, The Recent Republic Debate - A Chronlolgy: 1989-1998, (update of Background Paper No. 9 dated 25 June 1996).
  • The Traditions of Australian Republicanism, research paper Number 31 by Dr. Mark McKenna, Law and Public Administration Group. 21 May 1996.
  • The Recent Republic debate - A Chronology, background paper Number 8, by Carolyn Hide, Consultant to the Law and Public Administration Group. 25 June 1996.
  • Essays on Republicanism: small r republicanism Papers on Parliament Number 24, Senate Library. September 1994. (this is a large file with eight articles on the one page)
    Includes: "A Note on the Meaning of 'Republic'", "Republicanism, Continued - A brief rejoinder to Graham Maddox", "Republicanism and the Australian Constitution", "Introduction: The Agenda of the True Republicans", "Keeping the Australian Republic", "Essentials of Republican Legislatures: Distributed majorities and Legislative Control", "Australia's Real Republican Heritage", and "Suggested Readings".

• See the "Articles and Papers on our Constitutional Monarchy" provided by the Australian Monarchist League, includes Liberal Party and the Constitution by Tony Abbott Liberal MP (and former Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy) from Warringah.

• The ACM published a speech by Justice Michael Kirby, Australia's Monarchy - Meeting the People's Needs, March 1993. Argues that the present system works fine, so no need to change.

• The National Convenor of the ACM, Lloyd Waddy, QC, offers An Overview of the case for the monarchy. (1995)

• Drawing on his 1994 PhD thesis, Mark McKenna reviews the republican movement in 1788 to 1993: Tracking the History of Republicanism in Australia.

• Michael Ward from the Australian Republican Movement answers the question Why Australia should become a republic.

• The ARM has an online version of the Australian Constitution as well as several draft Proposed Republican Constitutions.

Other groups with an interest:

• Political parties:
  • Australian Labor Party
  • Liberal Party of Australia
  • National Party of Australia
  • Australian Democrats

• Evatt Foundation, Labor oriented.
• Menzies Foundation, Liberal oriented.