Young Convenor’s Column

The King is not just a visitor–he is a vital element of our system.

By Daniel Lahood, ACM Young National Convenor

Sixty-one years ago, Sir Robert Menzies, in the presence of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, proclaimed in The Kings Hall of Old Parliament House – “Ma’am, you are among your friends and, in one sense, among your colleagues”. 

Successive Prime Ministers have portrayed similar opinions. Twenty odd years later, Bob Hawke, at an official state function in Canberra, said to the late Queen, “Your Majesty, please feel at home, because you are at home when you are here, and you are truly amongst friends.” At a parliamentary reception, Julia Gillard went on to say to the late Queen in 2011, “but in this [Parliament House, Canberra] you are a vital constitutional part, not a guest.” 

As excitement gears up for the upcoming visit of The King and Queen, it is important to remember that The King is not just a visitor to these shores nor another celebrity but rather an indispensable element of our system of government and constitution. 

Although most of the Sovereign’s powers are passed to his representative in Australia, the Governor-General and to each state Governor, the Crown is still very much the system’s central component. Through the King’s name, his representative or representatives: 

1. appoint and dismiss members of the Executive Council;
2. appoint and dismiss Federal and State Ministers;
3. appoint magistrates and judges;
4. is the commander in chief of the defence forces;
5. decide when the Houses of Federal and State Parliaments meet and may suspend or dissolve them when necessary;
6. issue writs for general elections;
7. initiate government monetary expenditure by way of  appropriations to the Parliament;
8. provide Royal Assent to  Acts of Parliament by assenting to legislation that has been passed by both Houses of Parliament; and
9. may block amendments to any legislation passed by the two Houses of Parliament.

Australia inherited the Westminster system from the United Kingdom, one of the oldest continuing institutions in the world. At the system’s core lies the Crown, which has been threatened with removal for decades. Republicans have attempted to argue that our current system is able to function as it has for over a century without The Crown at its centre. History has proven that this is not necessarily correct. The numerous failures of past French Republics and overturned Middle Eastern monarchies are prime examples.

The system provides non-political, unbiased, and exceptionally well-trained monarchs who provide wise counsel and checks and balances to the three arms of government. When the central component of any system is removed, a risk of disorder, disruption, and failure is destined to eventuate. 

Long Live The King!