The events of this year, 2006, demonstrate that republicanism remains a serious threat to our heritage – our constitutional system, our flag, our Royal and our National Anthem. We saw this in the failed ‘Mate for a Head of State’ campaign, the attempt to suppress the playing of the Royal Anthem at the Commonwealth Games, and the various insidious examples of creeping republicanism foisted on us by republican politicians. In all of these Australians For Constitutional Monarchy have been in the forefront of the defence of our constitutional system, the role of the Crown in it, and our flag. Through our publications, the newsletter and the new journal, The Australian Constitutional Defender, our internet site and email columns we remain a strong advocate for our heritage. (There will be some exciting new developments on our website in the New Year.)
It is clear the republicans still refuse to accept the 1999 landslide when the people in all states rejected the very best model the republican establishment could devise. They are living in a fantasy, ignoring the complete disinterest in their agenda and the continual fall in the obviously lukewarm support even for a vague republic, a fall which is clearly evidenced by the polls. Unfortunately this seems to encourage the out of touch republican politicians to do more to suppress all memory and understanding of the Crown.
It is particularly gratifying to see that support among the youth is now in free fall, the latest evidence of which is in the in-depth research about youth attitudes commissioned by The West Australian. This shows that support for a vague undefined republic among the 18-30 year old in Western Australia is in free fall, from 52% two years ago to 38% in 2006. And the Hon. Nicola Roxon, in the front bench of HM Loyal Australian Opposition, says no new monarchists are being born.
ACM’s strategy has been to ensure that our organization remains intact throughout the Commonwealth, ready to campaign against the ARM plan to have the taxpayer fund a cascading series of plebiscites and referenda to achieve a republic, opposing any examples of creeping republicanism, and of course demonstrating as best we can the great advantages of our constitutional system.
The year has had its positive side. Through the hard work of our state, territory and local branches, we celebrated the eightieth birthday of our dear Sovereign in every state capital and in Canberra, as well as in many towns and cities across our Commonwealth. Appropriately, we thought that in this year, Her eightieth, we should emphasise Her Majesty’s role in our constitutional system, which has been overshadowed to an extent by the important Head of State issue, which had been introduced into the debate by the republicans. It is ironical that one leading republican now sees this debate as “arid and irrelevant”. To emphasise this central role of The Queen, we have published a monograph, with a foreword by the Hon Tony Abbott, Minister for Health in Her Majesty’s Australian Government. (The foreword appeared recently in The Age, a republican newspaper. The republican leader, Mr Greg Barns was given a reply column the next day. Readers will recall that we revealed in our column of 22 December, 2006 that Mr. Barns, who co- launched the Mate for Head of State campaign, has declared our country to be a “backwater”, and a “racist, inward looking, pigsty.”) Launched on 12 December, 2006, the monograph is appropriately entitled “Her Majesty at 80: Impeccable Service in an Indispensable Office.” (This is being offered for sale at $16, including GST and postage. All proceeds go to ACM; apart from printing costs, there are no copyright or publication charges. Supporters may wish to provide copies to school libraries)
Once again, we wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Royal New Year.