To add to the Project Republic launch, first book on the republic for quite a while, Professor Anne Twomey from the University of Sydney is the guest on Margaret Throsby’s interview program (ABC Classic FM at www.abc.net.au/classic) talking about how the Queen intervenes…
A new book of essays about the republic is launched at Parliament House in Canberra. There was not a single woman speaking at the event that had a decidedly Anglo, middle-aged male, establishment feel about it. The book has articles by only four women (Joy McCann;…
One NO voice for the referendum, expect it to be an extremely loud one, will be run by a small posse of entirely predictable people: ex Liberal Ministers Peter Reith, Nick Minchin, ex Labor Minister turned academic Gary Johns plus Julian Leeser, anti Bill of Rights campaigner and…
“Monument” is premiered by the Australian Ballet in Canberra as part of the national capital’s centenary for just four performances. The work is based on the design principles for new Parliament House, opened in 1988, and reveals the awe-inspiring glory of “a building that exists as…
Hazel Hawke dies after a long and distinguished career in public life. She was a dedicated republican who believed the UK monarch was not right for Australia. She was elected to attend the 1998 Constitutional Convention as an ARM delegate for NSW. The…
Sera Yilmaz, Chair of the University of Western Sydney Republic Club, writes to the SMH to put her point of view. She emphasises our maturity as a nation, says becoming a republic will not cause a revolution or demolish the Constitution and ends by noting that Britain…
The Australian Government announces a referendum on recognition of local government in the Constitution to be held on the same day as the federal election on 14 September. Before the 2010 election, Labor foreshadowed three referendums: the Republic, recognition of Indigenous peoples and local…
In one of the silliest disagreements between the Federal Government and a State, Queensland stuck to its guns and quickly passed its own royal succession laws (see 26 April news item). State Attorney-General, Jarrod Bleijie, said history warranted such a…
The British bill cleared the House of Lords on 22 April but Queensland still wants to go it alone and pass its own legislation so that daughters cannot be displaced by younger sons in the line of succession, declining to…
In a backhanded swipe at the current Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Tony Abbott announces that “former military personnel and former judges by and large make the best vice regal representatives” (she is neither). This was part of a spat with the Government…
