While Australian barrister and author, Geoffrey Robertson, labels the royal wedding ‘a manifesto* for British republicans’ in The Independent, it is nothing short of a wake-up call for Australian republicans as the British monarchy seeks to ensure its line of succession…
Julia Gillard, in London to attend the royal wedding, is asked about a new Australian poll which shows republic support dropping. She says the results “may well be reflecting that people have engaged with this love story and this exciting event. It may also be that…
A sudden ban on use of English royal wedding footage for comedy or ridicule ignites pro-republic sentiment. It results in the ABC cancelling satirical wedding coverage on ABC2 so that it can show the BBC’s live footage on ABC1 without fear of losing…
A change to the British gender succession rule will require legislation in all 16 countries of which the British monarch is the head of state to keep them all in step, including Australia where new laws will probably also be required in…
Deputy British PM, Nick Clegg, says the law that prevent a first-born royal female child from taking the throne ahead of a younger male child are “old-fashioned”. Actually, it’s sex-based discrimination. Suddenly, two weeks before the wedding of Prince William, heir to…
In a short and pertinent newspaper article, former Cabinet Minister, Ambassador to Italy and genuine republic supporter in the hostile Liberal seas, Amanda Vanstone puts the case for accelerating the move to a republic. She writes that she wants a…
Five well-known Australian women are among a group of 12 Australians of the Year calling for a new flag. They ask the Parliament to commence the process to design a truly Australian national flag and put it to a popular vote. The…
PM Julia Gillard promotes Australia Day as standing for ‘Mateship” in her first Australia Day speech. Fortunately, she stated that she is “still a feminist” on the ABC’s Four Corners program on 7 February. WfaAR was relieved to hear this as it’s a fair question. Former…
“Why should Australia not be a republic? It’s its own country, its own man”. Sir Michael Parkinson, British TV personality, speaking in Sydney after delivering the NSW Australia Day speech. Says it all really.
National Convenor, Sarah Brasch, speaks in Canakkale, Turkey about the Gallipoli myth and national identity. She emphasised that the current fashion to consider Gallipoli as the sole determinant of Australian characteristics has only been in vogue for 20 years and that it is the product of political spin starting with…
