Senator Meg Lees, leader of the Australian Democrats, now holding the balance of power in the Senate, meets twice with the Prime Minister in an effort to reach agreement on the question to be put about the preamble.
Michelle Grattan reports in the Sydney Morning Herald that Federal Cabinet is under pressure over the referendum question on the republic after a poll conducted for the Herald showed that the referendum would be carried on the proposition that the Queen and…
Senator Amanda Vanstone, Minister for Justice and Customs issues a press release calling for a calm and rational approach to the debate in the lead-up to the referendum. “There is not much time before the referendum and regardless of the outcome of…
New Democrat Senator, Aden Ridgeway, only the second indigenous Australian to be a member of the Federal Parliament has told the Prime Minister that he objects to the word “mateship” in the draft preamble to the Constitution because “it is…
Finally some commonsense in the debate – Anne Henderson, Deputy Director of the Sydney Institute, writing in The Australian says that this referendum will not be decided by which politicians are supporting the YES and NO cases but that being quite different…
The Prime Minister announced that the Queen and Prince Phillip will be in the country for a royal tour in March 2000. It will the Queen’s 13th visit to Australia and her first since 1992. WfaAR comment – and, hopefully,…
Former Attorney-General and now leading barrister, Bob Ellicott QC fears that Australians are going to sit round in the pub nominating each other for President because that’s the nature of our sense of humour.
Senator Meg Lees, Leader of the Australian Democrats was reported in the The Canberra Times as saying that she supports the revised wording suggested for the referendum question which clearly states that the aim of the change is to replace the Queen…
Women lead the way supporting the YES vote. In Canberra, Kate Carnell, Liberal Chief Minister of the ACT Government and Labor Senator for the ACT, Kate Lundy shared the podium at an ACT ARM fundraising dinner speaking in favour of…
In a passionate speech in favour of the republic in Adelaide, Janet Holmes a Court nominated the current Governor-General, Sir William Deane, as the first President of Australia saying that he would be a marvellous, healing appointment which would overcome…
