ACM has been advised that an organisation called IQ2 – a project of the St. James Ethics Centre – will be holding a debate on 24 June 2014 at the City Recital Hall, Sydney, on the topic "The Queen should be the last Australian Monarch".
The debate will be before an audience and will be broadcast on the BBC to an estimated 70 million people.
Having led the campaign for the No case in 1999, ACM is of course totally and unconditionally opposed to the motion.
A glance at our study of opinion polling demonstrates beyond doubt that there is little support for such a massive change to the fundamental principle of our constitution. This is that the people of the six colonies had agreed to unite in an indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown, a crowned republic. That was affirmed by the people nationally, in every state and in 72% of electorates in 1999.
Worse for the republican push is the distinct lack of support for their agenda from Australia's youth, as demonstrated in our study. Even worse is that youth support ha snow fallen below that among the elderly.
This debate is really a last gasp by the republican push
To view the flyer, please click here.
…Speakers..
Speaking for the motion are Bob Carr (former NSW Premier) and Marcia Langton (activist for Aboriginal rights).
Speaking against the motion are David Aaronvitch (Times columnist, broadcaster and commentator) and Julian Leeser.
Julian Leeser has been
- an elected delegate to the 1998 Constitutional Convention ( the youngest);
- convenor of Young Australians for Constitutional Monarchy,
- member of the 1999 official referendum Vote No Committee;
- Convenor of the Citizen's No Committee on the proposed Local Government recognition referendum;
- an attorney with a leading law firm;
- adviser to the Attorney-General of Australia, and
- Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre.
Julian Leeser is a lawyer and a university administrator.
For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.iq2oz.com.