Sky TV and the BBC reported on Australians for Constitutional Monarchy celebrating the tenth anniversary of the defeat of the republican referendum. The video from Sky would have been available to other British and international news agencies under pooling arrangements.
The Sky report was seen across the world. The Fairfax organisation also streamed the event live on the internet so it was available to other media and the public, and The Australian posted a video. Channel Nine and SBS filmed the event, and large numbers of other media were also present.
The function centred on John Howard, the 25th Prime Minister of Australia ( 1997-2007) delivering the Neville Bonner Oration, “ The Crowned Republic”
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The Oration is named after Australia’s first Aboriginal Senator and member of the Federal Parliament. As an ACM delegate at the 1998 Constitutional Convention, he delivered an address which so moved the delegates he was accorded the convention's only standing ovation.
John Howard predicted there would be no move on a republic during the present reign. The present leader of the Liberal Party, and republican leader in 1999, Malcolm Turnbull, agrees. He has also said that there must be a consensus on the republican model (which is highly unlikely) and that opposition must be minimal. ACM has advised Mr. Turnbull that it is their intention that opposition be at least as formidable as in 1999.
In this video from SkyUK , Mr. Turnbull agrees with Mr Howard that in many ways, we are already a republic.
On Affirmation Day, 6 November 1999, the Australian people in all States and in 72% of electorates had affirmed their support for our indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown.
