SKY's Peter Van Onselen interviews David Flint on a range of current constitutional and political issues while Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were in Sydney. This was broadcast on Australia's leading TV News network, SKY TV on 12 November 2015.

7 1

Prince Charles & Camilla were in Sydney 12 November 2015. Professor David Flint commented on Australia's leading news network, SKY TV NEWS

7 0

Prince Charles and Camilla visited the NSW Mounted Police at Redfern. Professor David Flint comments for SKY TV News, 12 November 2015

5 2

Malcolm Turnbull condemns a coup against a first term prime minister, but not the coup he led in 2015 against Tony Abbott . He was speaking of the coup against Kevin Rudd.

10 0

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is sworn in as Prime Minister, swearing allegiance to the Queen of Australia on 15 September, 2015

13 4

In this special report on Queen Elizabeth becoming our longest reigning monarch, SBS recalls the principal features of her reign and interviews ACM's Professor David Flint . He recalls how he saw her on her first visit to Australia in 1954 and comments on her service to the nation and the Commonwealth. this was broadcast on the SBS national network SBS1 on 9 September 2015

11 2

Professor David Flint is interviewed on the Treasurer Joe Hockey's extraordinary decision to advance the opposition's and the republican movement's plans to hold a plebiscite on having an Australian as head of state. Professor Flint says this is in breach of the rules governing cabinet government and that we already have an Australian as head of state.

3 3

ABC News reports on one of the largest demonstrations ever in Sydney's Macquarie Street. In 1996 Peter Sinclair retired as Governor of New South Wales. Premier Bob Carr announced that Rear Admiral Sinclair's replacement, Gordon Samuels, would not reside at Government House. This was a direct attack on the independence and integrity of the office of Governor and was expressly intended to promote republicanism in Australia. In response to this outrage Australians for Constitutional Monarchy organised one of the largest demonstrations ever held in Sydney - far more than the 10,000 claimed by the ABC. Other estimates were that 20,000 crowded Macquarie Street. Those on the platform say that the street was croded on one side up to Hyde Park and on th eother as far as the eye could see. So many people came in that many trains were not allowed to stop at nearby stations because of the numbers already there.People came from all over the state and beyond.
Curiously there is a lack of the usual aerial or long range shots to show the actual extent of the crowd. Republicans take note: Paul Keating says that popular disgust at Bob Carr's actions in evicting the Governor was on of the factors in the fall of the federal ALP government later in 1996.

11 0

The ABC's Q&A programme on 31 March 2014 opened with a segment on the reintroduction of knights and dames. A five panellists were opposed, as was the chairman Tony Jones who declared it an anachronism.
For reasons associated mainly with almost every other segment, the nation's most read commentator Andrew Bolt said it was one of the ''most outrageously and offensively biased'' episodes.
On the segment on knights and dames he limited himself to an observation concerning one panellist's use of "offensive language". He said no one dared protest about her lack of courtesy and civility.
She was Ms. Mona Eltahawy an " award-winning columnist and an international public speaker on Arab and Muslim issues''.

0 6

The republicans will continue to be unable to persuade the people to change the Constitution or the flag, says Professor David Flint national convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy

8 12

Republican supremo David Morris pushed three untruths in April to coincide with the Royal Visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George.

One was that all polls over the last 30 years had shown the young to be the most republican -untrue . Even his own poll showed otherwise
.
The second was that the process leading up to the failed 1999 republican referendum was rushed.

The third was a whopper. This was that monarchists were actually threatening the national anthem.

In this Channel 10 Today interview with Cameron Williams on 20 April 2014 Morris backtracks on his claim, but then invents a story that Australians had to fight for the national anthem.

1 5

Channel 10's Flagship Studio Ten programme invited ACM's Professor David Flint to join them for their live broadcast on Thursday 17 Aprile 2014 of the visit of Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the once devastated Blue Mountains.

2 0

ACM, alone, has from time to time referred to an ignored bonus from Royal visits.

Far outweighing any official advertising campaign, a Royal visit to Australia constitutes an advertising campaign money can't buy. This is ignored by petty republican politicians who then try to land a headline because of some question in a Senate estimates committee relating to such matters as the transport costs associated with a Royal visit.

In this report by Mark Ferguson on Channel 7 on 16 April 2014, Sara James from the leading United States television network, NBC says that "It's huge news in the US that the Royals down under."

Suzanne Gelhard from German Television indicates the enormous popularity of the Royals in Germany. (In fact Trooping the Colour is shown in full on German television every year, something which is denied to Australian television viewers.)

Tim Ewart from the British network ITN says that "II's been on TV every night it's been in the newspapers every day".

One estimate of the tourism income likely to flow from the Royal Visit is A$60 million.

ACM's Jai Martinkovits explains how monarchy will invent itself and how popular the Royal family is.

5 0

As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the baby Prince George begin their visit, Channel Seven's Matt White asks Jai Martinkovits about the latest opinion poll, something which ACM has been closely studying since before the 1999 referendum.

There is a section dedicated to this on the ACM site, http://bit.ly/1gD4kuW

6 0

The decision by the Prime Minister Tony Abbott to advise The Queen to restore knighthoods in the Order of Australia and subsequent awards to General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Dame Quentin Bryce were the subject of a news report on ABC 24 on 25 March 2014 when Prof David Flint of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy was interviewed.

11 3

The decision to reintroduce Knights and Dames in the order of Austr and awards to General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Dame Quentin Bryce were the subject of a debate on ABC's 730 chaired by Sarah Ferguson.
Prof David Flint argued in favour of the decision, and Greg Barnes opposed the reintroduction. Greg Barnes is a former chairman of the Australian Republican Movement, and was that their national campaign director for the 1999 referendum.

6 1

ACM is in no way associated with a prediction of "almost certain violence'' which would allegedly accompany the proposed Aboriginal recognition referendum.

This prediction was in a Media Release by Philip Benwell headlined " Aboriginal Recognition Set Back For Decades".

In this he says the Rudd and Gillard governments moved away from their commitment to hold a referendum because of vandalism and of a demonstration where Ms. Gillard lost her shoe. ( The demonstration was provoked by misinformation by a member of her staff who then resigned.)

He predicts that vandalism - and this demonstration - ''undoubtedly sets back the acceptance of Aboriginal recognition by decades''.

The contents of the media release and a subsequent interview were reported nationally by Simon Cullen for the ABC on 27 January 2014, by Andrew Green in this video report as well as on ABC radio.

ACM, as the nation's leading constitutional monarchist association, distances itself completely from these predictions.

ACM is not a political party. Our mission is limited and we do not take a position on constitutional issues unrelated to the core of our constitutional system, which is centred on an indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown.

That said, it is difficult to see why Australians would approach the proposed referendum in any way different from the way in which they have approached all others - thoughtfully and peacefully.

2 1

It's time for the United Kingdom to resume a close relationship with the growth economies of the Commonwealth, said Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
He is especially is calling for reciprocal immigration rights between the United Kingdom and Australia.
He was speaking in a lecture at the leading international relations think tank, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy on 24 August 2013.
Emphasising the very close links between the United Kingdom and Australia, and that Australia had stood with the UK in both world wars, he referred to the fact that in 1999 Australians voted to keep the constitutional monarchy.
He told the story of how in 1992 he had a bet of $100 with academics from Monash University who were insisting that changed to a republic was inevitable, just, he said, as "Barry the chief minister" had predicted the evening of the lecture. (Who could he have been referring to?)
He said that despite the referendum 13 years ago, the Republican academics have not yet paid their the debts.
e

17 1

In this Channel 10 breakfast program, Wake Up, 21 January 2014, presenters James Mathison and Natarsha Belling consider the increased involvement of Prince Charles in royal activities.
In this segment, ''Royal Handover'', James and Natarsha's r guest is Professor David Flint, National Convener of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.
Prof Flint explains that there has been a merger of the press officers of the sovereign and the Prince of Wales, a sensible decision he says. As to the handing over of more functions to Prince Charles, he says this will no doubt be done on a case-by-case basis. He points out The Queen will never abdicate. She is committed to her Oath and to the promise she made on her 21st birthday to serve. In a briefing to Channel 10, he confirms that the Dutch model is not applicable in the United Kingdom notwithstanding suggestions years ago by various ''royal watchers'' that this was imminent.
Thus the Queen will remain Queen of Australia, Queen of Canada, Queen of New Zealand and so on. The succession is settled; these Crowns will go to Prince Charles.
The title of the Head of the Commonwealth was once assumed to be hereditary; there have been suggestions to the contrary in recent years but these are no doubt wrong. The alternative of the headship rotating between various republican presidents, other Commonwealth sovereigns such as Malaysia -- itself a rotating position, and Tonga as well is the Queen as sovereign of her separate realms would be unmanageable and probably unacceptable given the political nature of the republican presidencies. The position will either be declared hereditary over the next few years, or at the end of the reign, will be conferred seamlessly on the next Sovereign, as it was in 1952.
In that briefing, Prof Flint confirmed his view that the end of the reign will not result in Australia suddenly becoming a politicians' republic or indeed in any increase in support of such a change. In his view, there will be heightened interest in and probably increased support for the Crown and indeed, for our crowned republic.

:

11 0

ACM National Convenor Professor David Flint discusses the process concerning the appointment of the Governor-General and on General Cosgrove: ABC News Channel 24 Weekend Breakfast with Miriam Corowa and Richard Davies, 28 December 2013

9 0

Professor David Flint is asked to comment on General Cosgrove as Governor-General by The Project's panel, Sam Macmillan, Charlie Pickering and Nicole Livingstone, on Boxing Day 2013. The Project is broadcast nationally by Channel 10

3 4

The announcement of the 2014 Royal Visit by Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the likely visit Prince George in April 2014 was warmly welcomed across Australia and New Zealand.
In these extracts, Sky News, Channel 7's Today Tonight and Channel 9 News speak to Professor David Flint and Jai Martinkovits.

18 4

Since the referendum, the Australian Republican Movement has studiously avoided revealing what changes they are planning for both the Constitution and the Flag. Up to 1999 they indicated they wanted a model where the politicians chose and controlled the president. From the floor of the Convention the ARM invited everyone to view an exhibition of new flags which was being put on at the same time.

We refused to be even seen there.

Then as the referendum approached the ARM openly supported a travelling exhibition of new flags. Notably absent from each exhibition was the Australian National Flag. But the ARM endorsed travelling exhibition included an obscene homophobic racist flag.

Now the ARM steadfastly refuses to reveal one word of the changes they are proposing to the Constitution. They pretend that the Flag is not one of their targets, but the republican standard bearer, The Age has let the cat out of the bag over this. The Age says that no one seriously believes that the Flag will survive a (politicians') republic, and since that is inevitable we might as well change it now.

But now a new proponent of republican change has emerged, and he has a model. He sought ACM's support, but we have of course refused.

8 1

In the ABC's Q&A programme on 30 September 2013, the two contenders in the Labor Party Leadership election, Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese were asked a series of questions.
For the last question Lucy Moyle asked: It appears that the Republican views present during the Keating era are somewhat diminished, with the ALP pledging support for the Australian flag at the 2013 election launch. However under your respective leaderships, how would the ALP further approach the Republican debate - would you increase its relevance or would you lead the party to fully support the 'Constitutional Monarchy'?
Mr Shorten was to win the Caucus election and the overall election. Mr. Albanese obtained a majority in the membership election.
It is clear Labor will not be pushing change to a politicians' republic in the new parliament.

4 1

Why don't the republicans just lighten up? There are now upset because when he welcomed Prince Harry to Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "Prince Harry, I regret to say that not every Australian is a monarchist, but today everyone feels like a monarchist."

The chairman of the Australian Republican movement took umbrage at this.

As ACM's ACT Convenor Gary Kent indicates in this debate broadcast over the national news network SKY Australia on 7 October 2013, it is because they are so bereft of any significant support.

The Prime Minister added these facts which the Australian Republican movement would no doubt prefer people did not recall:
"You grace us as your family has graced our nation from its beginning and it's quite fitting on a day such as this, when we think back over 100 years of the Australian navy, that you are here as the crown is a symbol of stability, continuity, decency in our public life."

According to Lauren Wilson writing in The Australian the comments from Mr Abbott, "once an executive director of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, were attacked as political and divisive. Australian Republican Movement chairman Geoff Gallop said they were 'totally inappropriate'.and 'divisive''.

He later told SKY television that people would feel better under a (politicians') republic.

Gary Kent pointed out the vast number of Australians who have come out to welcome Prince Harry, The Queen and Prince William.

Mr Abbott's colleague Malcolm Turnbull, a prominent republican, dismissed the remarks. "I never feel like a monarchist," he told the ABC. "I am glad the royal charisma overwhelmed everyone, even the Prime Minister."


The point surely is that instead of again getting the taxpayers to pay for some republican model to be put to the people, the republicans should go somewhere, and quietly work out what they want and then explain how it would improve the government of Australia.

9 3

Speaking on ABC24's Capital Hill, Jai Martinkovits discusses the relevance and impact of Prince Harry's visit to Australia for the International Fleet Review 2013.

2 1

Promising to be faithful and to bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR is sworn in by Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of Australia, as the 28th Prime Minister of Australia.

42 3

Promising to be faithful and to bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Hon. Marise Payne MP is sworn in by Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of Australia, as Minister for Human Services.

4 0

Promising to be faithful and to bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP is sworn in by Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of Australia, as Minister for Communications

4 3

Godfrey Eugene ''Rusty'' Priest was born in Melbourne in June 1927, one of three sons of William Priest and his wife, Patricia (nee O'Keeffe). Patricia died when the boys were young and William raised them.

As soon as he turned 18, he enlisted in the 2nd AIF, but just as he finished his training at Cowra, Japan surrendered and the war ended. He served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces Signals Regiment, 8th US Army Signals Corps and "A" Field Battery Royal Australian Army in Japan from April 1946 until December 1948, and stayed in the Army over the next 22 years moving through artillery, infantry and combined operations. In 1955, he married his wife, Merle.

He finished his time in the army with a promotion to Warrant Officer Class I and a posting to the Directorate of Artillery at Army Headquarters in Canberra, and retired in September 1967.

The Priests moved to Revesby in Sydney and Rusty took an administration position at the University of Sydney, where he stayed until he retired again, in 1990.

He was to play a significant role in the Returned Servicemen's League holding the position of state president of the NSW RSL from 1993 to 2002 and deputy national president of the RSL from 1997 to 2002. He also played a significant volunteer role in a number of organisations including the office of chairman of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway Committee from 1995.

In 1997, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia and in 2003 he was awarded a Centenary Medal.

He was a champion for the those who served, and he played a significant role in restoring ANZAC Day as a central national observation, and raising the Kokoda Track as the a sacred memorial to those who served in the Second World War. On his proposal, the ANZAC Bridge was so named honouring the diggers of the First and Second World Wars. He was always a strong supporter of the Australian Flag and of the Crown.

His service was recognized by the State and Nation at a State Funeral in St. Mary's Cathedral Sydney on 1 October , and in a service at the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park.


This video report was broadcast over the national news network, SKY News Australia.

3 0

The Australian Prime Minister Mr Tony Abbott, accompanied by Mrs. Abbott made his first visit overseas visit to Jakarta on 30 September 2013. He was received both at the airport and at the Presidential Palace with a guard of honour. There was a nineteen gun salute at the Palace as befits a Head of Government. Only Heads of State - such as the Governor-General of Australia - receive a twenty one gun salute.

He said that he had had a "very frank" and "constructive" discussion about people smuggling during a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta last night. The President is the executive Head of State, and thus also the Head of Government.

0 2

Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith is leaving the Army after 17 years of service and will head back to university to undertake business studies, according to this report from the national television news service, Sky News Australia

Corporal Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated modern soldier who also received a Medal for Gallantry for extreme heroism under fire, will continue to serve in the Army Reserve, the Australian Defence Force says.

The ABC reported that he will begin studying part-time for a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Queensland next year, with a view to a future corporate career.

Corporal Roberts-Smith says he has achieved his goals in the military and it is "the right time" for him to pursue a long-held desire to further his education.

"It has been a great honour to serve my country for the last 17 years," he said in a statement.

"I have been extremely privileged to serve alongside some of the best men and women in Australia.

"My time within the Special Air Service Regiment has been the highlight of my military career and I will always look back on my service without regret, and proud to be able to count myself among their number.

"Having been fortunate enough to achieve my goals within Defence, I have decided that now is the right time to pursue other opportunities including further education, which is something I have always been keen to do."

He thanked his wife, Emma, and daughters Eve and Elizabeth, saying that "none of the experiences I have had would have been possible without their support".


The Victoria Cross is the highest award for acts of bravery in wartime.
It was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria and made retrospective to 1854 to cover the Crimean War.
Before today 98 Australians had been awarded the Victoria Cross, dating back to the Boer War.
The separate Australian VC was gazetted in 1991.
However the design remains identical to the original British medal.
Read profiles of the Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross.



He said he looked forward to continuing to serve in the Army Reserve, and working with various Defence Force charities.

Having enlisted in the Australian Army in 1996, Corporal Roberts-Smith was chosen for the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 2003 and over the next decade deployed to South-East Asia, Fiji, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia in 2011 for his role in assaulting enemy machine gun positions in Afghanistan while the rest of his squad was pinned down.

Corporal Roberts-Smith, who donated his medal to the Australian War Memorial, is one of only three recipients of the Victoria Cross for Australia, which takes is name and design from the Victoria Cross created by Queen Victoria in 1856.

Until the Victoria Cross for Australia was created in 1991, Australians were eligible for the Victoria Cross and other awards under the Imperial system of honours.

The two other recipients of the Australian honour are Corporal Mark Donaldson VC, also a member of the special forces, and Corporal Daniel Keighran VC, who was serving with the 6th Battalion RAR.

3 0

Executive Director, Jai Martinkovits, speaks with Ten News' Hugh Riminton about the significance of the birth of the Royal Baby to Australia.

13 3

Unable to persuade the Australian people to adopt some form of politicians' republic, the latest republican plan is to remove the effigy of The Queen from our coinage first before other national symbols go , especially our Australian Flag.

From the time that coins were minted in Australia, the effigy of our sovereign has appeared on the head or obverse of our coinage.

This republican plan from Young Labor proposes that an effigy of the Slouch Hat appear on our coins to commemorate the centenary of Gallipoli. There is no reason why this could not be done.
But the republicans deviously propose a totally unnecessary condition to this. This is to remove the effigy of The Queen from our coins. This of course is not in the slightest necessary if we wish to honour and commemorate Gallipoli on our coins.

Were Australia to adopt some form of politicians' republic, obviously we would as a consequence remove the Crown from the coins. But we have not. This was overwhelmingly rejected in the landslide no vote in 1999 when not one state voted in favour of the republicans' preferred model

It is likely that this proposal so apparently loyal in linking the Slouch Hat and Gallipolli, released as we approach the election, is at least in part designed to draw attention away from the fact that expenditure on defence as a percentage of GDP has fallen to the level that it was in the years just before the Second World War. No doubt the proponents also wish to distract attention from the loss of control over our borders.

No doubt this proposal is intended as a preparation for the converting Australia into some form of politicians' republic. This will no doubt be followed by the minting of republican coins with the effigy of some politician on our coins, thus signalling that the principle of leadership beyond politics has finally been overthrown.

Supporters may be assured that Australians for Constitutional Monarchy will remain in the vanguard of the defence of our constitutional system, our flag and thus, the retention of the effigy of the sovereign on our coinage.

5 2

ACM is leading the fight against the Swan-Turnbull republican campaign. We have to be vigilant.

Just after Liberal shadow minister Malcolm Turnbull re-launched the republican movement campaign, he entered into an unholy alliance with Labor Treasurer Wayne Swan and Malcolm Turnbull to turn Australia into some as yet undefined politicians' republic.

But as Professor David Flint says in this interview broadcast on the national SBS News on 3 June, 2013, support for this is so low not only would a referendum be doomed, so would a plebiscite. ( See ACM's report on opinion polling - in particular the graph showing polling trends since the referendum and across the polls - at http://bit.ly/eA6Gyn )

And as Opposition Leader Tony Abbott - ACM's foundation executive director - suggests, Australians are just not interested. The only vote which concerns them is the one in the coming election.

For Wayne Swan this is distraction from the problems relating to the budget, surplus which disappeared, the massive debts which are accumulating and the polling which is indicating problems for the government in the coming election.

For Malcolm Turnbull, who has leadership aspirations, this is a singular way to demonstrate that his brand is different from that if his leader. He must not be underestimated both as a campaigner, and for the fact that his campaign director revealed he was the principal benefactor of the republican movement in the nineties.

One unresolved issue is whether he gave a commitment not to push the republican issue when he campaigned for the seat of Wentworth.

1 8

With the re-launch of the Republican movement by Malcolm Turnbull, it is clear that they could not care less what sort of politician's republic they would foist on the nation. Either they haven't thought about this or they're keeping it secret.

The essential point is they refuse to reveal to the Australian people just what they want to do to our Constitution.

What they openly admit is that they plan to remove one of the crucial checks and balances on the politicians without telling us how they are going to replace this.
To justify this they are talking about our identity.

As in 1999, they go on about the head of state, an an obscure diplomatic term governed by international law. Having an Australian as head of state was the only serious argument int he 1999 Yes/No booklet all voters received.

The head of state is entitled to a twenty one gun salute when visiting another country. And this is precisely what the Governor-General receives when she goes on a state visit.

in the nineties prominent republicans told us witha straight face that a republic would improve unemployment, liberate artists, improve trade, increase immigration, make us better understood by Asian and French governments.

There doing the same again. In this video a former republican movement chairman Thomas Keneally says some sort of politicians' republic - it doesn't matter which -- will give us a sense of identity - a s if we had none, and ensure "a period of creativity, confidence and trust from our neighbours."

So more politicians and increased power for our politicians will achieve identity, creativity, confidence and trust?

[Video published by ABC 10-11 May, 2013]

0 0

Malcolm Turnbulll has told Australians they must keep on voting on some politicians' republic until they get it right. Appearing with former Labor Premier of Western Australia Dr. Geoff Gallop, Mr Turnbull re-launched the republican campaign at a celebrity attended dinner in Sydney on 10 May 2013. This re-launch, one of several since the 1999 referendum, followed a call by Treasurer Wayne Swan earlier this year for the matter to be returned to the agenda.

0 8

Malcolm Turnbulll has told Australians they must keep on voting on some politicians' republic until they get it right. Appearing with former Labor Premier of Western Australia Dr. Geoff Gallop, Mr Turnbull re-launched the republican campaign at a celebrity attended dinner in Sydney on 10 May 2013. This re-launch, one of several since the 1999 referendum, followed a call by Treasurer Wayne Swan earlier this year for the matter to be returned to the agenda.

1 4

In the middle of the longest election campaign in Australian electoral history, Malcolm Turnbull has risen to the bait thrown out to wedge the Liberals by Treasurer Wayne Swan - a politicians' republic.

This is real wedge material. The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, is a committed constitutional monarchist. In fact he was the first Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy. Why would Malcolm Turnbull do this?

But as Professor David Flint points out, they want to remove our oldest check and balance on the politicians - without telling us what they are planning to put in its place.

It's as if they were marching down the street chanting: "We want a Republic. The only trouble is ....we haven't the foggiest idea what sort of Republic we want."

If Mr Turnbull and the ARM want to persuade the Australian people they have to be serious. They have to go away, do the hard work, work out what precisely they are proposing and then, and only then, come back with a worked out proposal.

They must stop taking the Australian people for pushovers. Australians are too smart for that.

Without that can get very short shrift from the Australian people. And rightly so.


.

11 19

It started with a discussion on the ABCs television program the insiders on 28 April 2013 about the next Governor- General. When opposition leader -- and former ACM executive director -- Tony Abbott wrote to the Prime Minister remonstrating against the appointment of officials to take effect after the election expected in September, some Labor politicians said this was because Mr Abbott wished to recommend former Prime Minister John Howard as Governor - General.

While panellists Lenore Taylor and prominent republican Dr Gerard Henderson dismissed this, republican journalist Mike Seccombe welcomed such an appointment.

He thought it would restore republicanism to the national agenda and bring on some sort of a republic which he described as "constitutional reform". Nobody has explained how becoming a politicians' republic has anything to do with constitutional reform, at least by establishment republicans. Certainly the 1999 model would have been a retrograde step, a point admitted by some leading people strongly proposing it.

Dr Henderson - a very thorough and perceptive commentator - was dismissive both as to the likelihood of an appointment and as to republicanism coming back on the national agenda.

2 1

ANZAC Day is the day when Australians and New Zealanders remember those who died and fought for their country in the many wars in which we have been involved.

Across the two nations, marches and services are held to honour the call to our nations, Lest We Forget .

This report begins With the Last Post, followed by a reading of the Ode of Remembrance from Laurence Binyon's poem, "For the Fallen",

One such remembrance was the ANZAC Day march in Sydney, 2013. The streets were filled with people young and old, some having come from the Dawn S at the Senate, ervice which attracted many thousands.

Once again led by Her Excellency the Governor, Professor Marie Bashir -- having just flown back from Canberra where she attended the dawn service for the national capital -- the three and half hour long march wound its way through the City of Sydney.

Her Excellency, attended by Her Aides-de-Camp from each of the services,, was preceded by a procession of cars and taxis carrying disabled veterans, As they do every year, the pipes and drums of the Scots College Sydney followed leading with the familiar old Australian tune, On the Road to Gundagai. And there was a glorious sight -- 300 massed flags carried by various young people followed by the New South Wales mounted police. Founded in 1825 by Gov Brisbane, they are the oldest continuous mounted group in the world.
Her Excellency followed and then came the leaders of the New South Wales division of the Returned Services League, whose task it is to organise the annual march.
Once again this was a very moving occasion. Lest We Forget.

94 49

An Australian soldier machine gunned in the First World War was treated in hospital and then sent to convalesce at Glamis Castle, the Scottish ancestral seat of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.

The soldier, Lt Rupert Octavius Dent of the 54th Battalion there met Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who was to marry Prince Albert Duke of York and in 1936 become Queen --Empress. The young aristocrat was then doing voluntary work assisting the soldiers running errands visiting wards, and generally been very useful purpose to the nurses and the soldiers.

Lt Dent, the future Queen, her mother and the family were to form a close relationship. She said he made her laugh and her mother, Lady Strathmore said that "We shall never forget you".

They continued to correspond after his return to Australia. He met Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of York, at Government House in Sydney on the couple's visit to Australia in 1927 to open the new Parliament at Canberra.

Some of the Queen Mother's letters were found several years ago in a second-hand chest of drawers purchased as a restoration project. Writing in the Sun Herald on 11 March 2013 Tim Barlass told this fascinating story and revealed that the letters were to be auctioned.

This took place in Sydney on 11 April, 2013, the letters being sold for $3500.

The ABC's Scott Bevan interviewed ACM's National Convener Professor David Flint one hour before the auction.

6 1

In a major speech on indigenous affairs, the Leader of HM Australian Opposition Tony Abbott has revealed that it was in Australians for Constitutional Monarchy that he had developed his determination to work with Aboriginal people about their issues and not simply reading about them and developing solutions from a distance.

Since he became an MP and even as a Minister with other portfolios, he has done what few other politicians do- he has spent time among the Aboriginal people.

His mentor was was the late Neville Bonner whose speech in defence of our Federal Commonwealth under the Crown was so moving that it attracted the only standing ovation at the 1998 Constitutional Convention.

Neville Bonner was one of the original signatories of the ACM Charter, and was an influential member of our leadership group.

Mr. Abbott confirmed he will propose an amendment to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution. If the Coalition wins September's election, within 12 months of taking office, he will put forward for public consultation a draft constitutional amendment and establish a bipartisan process to assess its chances of success.

[Source: Special Broadcasting Service]

7 1

The Hon.Jarrod Pieter Bleijie, MP, Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, introduced the Queensland Succession to the Crown Bill, 2013 into the Queensland Parliament on 14 February, 2013.
In this First Reading of the Bill, the Attorney, a strong constitutional monarchist, emphasised the importance of maintaining the continuing close link between the Crown and the State of Queensland.

11 5

The ABC promoted shredding our flag and changing to a politicians' republic in a curious segment in its flagship current affairs programme, Q&A.

Tim Levinson is also known as Urthboy, a hip hop artist and manager of record label, Elefant Traks. He appeared on the ABC's Q&A programme on 4 February 2013, the first for the year.

Other panellists were Coalition politician Christopher Pyne, former Coalition politician Amanda Vanstone, Labor politician David Bradbury , and journalist , author and feminist Anne Summers.

Although moving to a politicans' republic was not mentioned on the programme the chairman Tony Jones did so in a special mention at the end when he invited Mr. Levenson to sing in an American accent a ditty entitled "Empire Tags."

Most if not all members of the panel are republicans. Certainly, no known defender of the existing constitution or flag was there.

Why is the ABC promoting these issues?.

8 14