Republicans are not only “passionate” as they often say. They are, it seems, highly creative.
Klaas Woldring told a recent Senate inquiry that claimed that when The Queen was in Australia for the Commonwealth Games in 2006, she said "Chaps, are you getting on with the republic or what?", or, he says, "words to that effect".
When was this? Where was this? And to whom was this said, Dr. Woldring?
He admitted this was not widely reported. The reason is obvious. Had this been actually said, it would have made headlines around the world.
He also claimed that only 9% of those who voted No in the 1999 republican referendum supported our constitutional monarchy, our crowned republic. He says that 16% supported the direct election of a president. He doesn’t say what the other 30% supported, nor how he came to this conclusion.
Nor does he explain why as a result of the election for the 1998 Constitutional Convention, the second largest group elected was Australians for Constitutional Monarchy and why, in a postal election which many constitutional monarchists thought was a waste of time, five constitutional monarchist groups were elected.
Nor has he explained how ACM was able to marshal over 55,000 supporters to campaign to vote No in the referendum.
Giving evidence to the Senate inquiry into Bob Brown’s Plebiscite for an Australian for an Australian Republic Bill on 29 April 2009, he argued that instead of one question being put in the plebiscite, there would be nine. He is associated with a breakaway group from the ARM called Republic Gatherings.
They have had four meetings in the last five years.
The Senate staff must have a sense of humour. The made Professor George Williams share the same spot with Klaas Woldring.