On Affirmation Day, 6 November 2010, eleven years had passed since the Australian people affirmed their belief in an indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown. We now invite you, in these most difficult economic times, to consider giving to our Eleventh Anniversary Appeal.
This is because the republican movement has consistently refused to accept the people’s clear decision in 1999, believing no doubt that the people must keep on voting …until they get it right.
It is a public scandal that the republicans have managed to divert to these campaign vast amounts of taxpayers’ funds from schools, hospitals, transport, water and similar matters.
A significant part of this has involved the taxpayer funding a series of government inquiries reports and votes. There were five of these before the referendum and six since.
Even the supposedly private Corowa conference was subsidised by the Victorian government.
Since 1992, ACM has been the principal defender of our constitution system, including the role of the Australian Crown in it. Some of the prinicpal events in our short history follow.
….principal events…
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1992: Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM), is launched at a public meeting on 4 June 1992. Justice Michael Kirby drafts the ACM Charter, and Justice LLoyd Waddy QC becomes the first National Convenor.
- 1992: In a major submission to the official Keating government Republican Advisory Committee chaired by Malcolm Turnbull and consisting only of republicans, ACM advances the principal arguments against a republic.
- 1993: A standing room only rally in Sydney Town Hall on 26 November 1993 is addressed by the Hon John Howard MP (now Prime Minister of Australia).
- 1993: The Hon. Tony Abbott becomes first Executive Secretary. Divsional Councils and branches established across Australia.
- 1993: The late Father Jeremy Flynn endows a trust fund to undertake constitutional education in Australia. A significant publications programme is undertaken.
- 1993: Former PM Bob Hawke says the “monarchists are winning the intellectual argument”
- 1994 Tony Abbott is elected to federal Parliament and Kerry Jones is appointed Executive Director.
- 1996: ACM organises a march from the gates of Government House to the front of Parliament House in Sydney to protest against the New South Wales Premier Bob Carr's unpopular attempt to downgrade the Office of Governor and expel future governors from their purpose built home, Government House. It is among the largest peaceful non- political non- union demonstrations the city has ever seen.
- 1997: Voluntary postal election for Constitutional Convention. ACM is the second largest group after the Australian Republican Movement. ACM wins 72.82% of the constitutional monarchist vote, followed, in order of size, by Bruce Ruxton’s Safeguard The People, Australian Monarchist League, Queenslanders for Constitutional Monarchy and the Fred Nile’s Christian Democrats.
- 1998: To the surprise of the ARM, all monarchist delegates refuse to vote for any model, including the “least worst” McGarvie model judged to be the easiest to defeat in a referendum. His Eminence Cardinal Pell compliments them for their adherence to principle. Although it fails to win an absolute majority, the model preferred by the greater number of republican delegates is approved as the referendum model.
- 1998 Made a judge, Lloyd Waddy stands down and is succeeded by Emeritus Professor David Flint AM.
- 1999: "The main monarchist organisation is ACM….By 1999 ACM, like its opposite number ARM in the case of republicans, appears to have become the spokesperson for monarchists." ( Parliamentary Library Research Paper 25 1998-1999)
- 1999: ACM opens offices and appoints directors in every state capital as well as a national campaign director, David Elliott, and undertakes some media advertising. Coordinators are appointed in every electorate and over 55,000 supporters across the Commonwealth work for a no case victory.
- 1999: Cane Toad Republic . The Governor-General is Head of State
- 1999: The government appoints Yes and No case committees made up of Convention delegates on the basis of votes cast in the election. The No Case consists of 2 independent republicans and 8 monarchists, all ACM delegates to the Convention. Kerry Jones chairs the committee.
- 1999: ACM plays a major role in the drafting of the AEC No case. The Yes case uses the argument that only a republic can provide a Australian Head of State.
- 1999: The No case wins the national vote, all states and in 72% of electorates. o 2000: ACM holds the first of its annual National Conferences since the referendum. (With the National Conference in October 2010, there have been eleven since the referendum)
- 2000: ACM argues that a “blank cheque” plebiscite on “a” republic is grossly irresponsible and would invite a vote of no confidence in one of the world’s most successful constitutions. If carried it would be followed by years of constitutional instabilty.
- 2000: Quadrant publishes the results of ACM research:” The Head of State Debate resolved.”
- 2001: On the personal invitation of the former Victorian Governor, the Hon. Richard McGarvie, ACM sends a large delegation to the Corowa Conference to defend the Australian Crown
- 2004: ACM presents major submission to a Senate Inquiry, and campaigns against its report.
- 2006: ACM launches its second journal, The Australian Constitutional Defender
- 2007: Kerry Jones stands down as Executive Director and is succeeded by Thomas Flynn.
- 2009: ACM mounts media campaigns against the gerrymandered 2020 Summit, and exposes the errors in its final resolutions which are surreptitiously changed.
- 2009: ACM makes the most comprehensive submission to Senate Inquiry into Senator Bob Brown’s Plebiscite for an Australian Republic Bill
- 2009: Government survey released finding that in a simple multi choice test only 1 in 3 of Year 10 students chose the correct definition of the constitution.
- 2009 ACM launches the latest version of a new major educational project, The Crowned Republic, with a new website www.crownedrepublic.com.au and an ambitious outreach programme into the schools.
- 2010: ACM's principal site is now attracting a record number of hits, more than twice as many as in 2008 and four times than in 2007. The projected annual rate is over 8 million hits and cumulatively over 4 million page views. Interest in what we are doing is not restricted to Australia; over 25% of visitors are from overseas. In any major campaign, our sites will be a significant source of information.
….today…
Today, ACM remains a grass roots organisation. We continue to advocate the retention of constitutional monarchy as the preferred model of governance for our Commonwealth.Our activities are wide and diverse. They include disseminating information, managing a major new educational project, producing educational materials, providing speakers for public forums, and organising gatherings so fellow Australians can have an opportunity to learn more about the unique system of government that has helped to safeguard our cherished democratic traditions and freedom.
ACM depends on volunteers and on the generosity of its supporters. ACM financial records have always been audited, and ACM files income tax and GTS returns. All funding is spent carefully and effectively. With this track record, ACM remains a grass roots organisation.
From our inception our accounts have been audited annually and filed with ASIC. We file an annual income tax return and pay GST.
We depend on the support of thousands of rank and file Australians. We are grateful for efforts of so many volunteers and the underpaid work of our young employees. Your generosity allows us to continue our important work. You can make a gift now by PayPal, or by send a donation to our national office, Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, 6th Floor , 104 Bathurst Street, Sydney 2000.
If you can continue to help us, we can guarantee that your work will greatly assist us and that that your funding will be well spent. We think our record demonstrates that.
Advance Australia Fair! God Save The Queen!
