Australian Monarchist League

Make no bones about it, unlike the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Labor governments, the Albanese government has a Marxist agenda to create radical change.

The major change it hopes to implement is to do away with the Crown as retribution for the Whitlam dismissal in 1975. If Labor had a realistic agenda for constitutional reform they would have produced a model long before now instead of relying upon others to come up with infantile methods of scratching out the Crown and the monarchy from the Australian Constitution.

The Australian Labor Party first declared itself in favour of a republic in 1982 when it was still sore from the defeat of the Whitlam government following its dismissal from office. It was also just one year out from the victory of Labor’s Bob Hawke who became Australia’s third longest serving prime minister. Hawke took no action to promote a republic but his successor, Paul Keating, was forceful in his crusade for constitutional change and did much to dismantle the outward symbols and traditions associated with the monarchy.

It was under Paul Keating that the Labor Party National Conference in Hobart in June/July 1991 reaffirmed the 1982 decision for reform of the Australian Constitution to provide for an independent republic.

Coincidentally just 2 weeks later the Australian Republican Movement was formed in Sydney mainly by leading Labor identities.

Above is a cartoon by the late Bill Leak showing Malcolm Turnbull, who led the republicans to their 1999 defeat, with his mentor, former Labor premier Neville Wran. Both were founders of the Australian Republican Movement

The Assistant Minister for the Republic wrongly says that his justification to promote a republic, (using taxpayer monies) is the decision of the 1991 ALP conference.

Political parties have their own ideology, but once in government their duty is to govern for all people not just the few who may make Labor Party policy. The issue of a republic was not taken to the election and therefore the government has no mandate whatsoever to use taxpayer monies to orchestrate its push towards a republic.

I may sound like an old gramophone with the needle stuck in the groove, but it is important that we understand where the Labor republican government is coming from. It is irrefutably not because it wants to better the lives of Australians and certainly not because it wants to lower the cost of living as even the referendums they are proposing will alone cost probably more than a billion dollars. No, it is to settle old debts.

A few days ago we understand that the federal government took down the insignia “E R” from the gates of the prime minister’s official Sydney residence, Kirribilli House (pictured above), and it has not been replaced and is probably not likely to be replaced with “C R”.

This is but one incidence of many of republicanism by stealth and is the government’s method of removing any trace of our monarchy in the lead up to a referendum.

Kirribilli House is not the personal property of the prime minister but of the Australian people and both he and his government have no right to do as they wish but should wait until the people themselves have decided on whether to retain the Crown or to become a republic under a president politicians can control, before dismantling the symbols of our constitutional governance. To do otherwise is an insult to the people and should be ceased forthwith.

I have requested that a question be asked in the House of the prime minister why the insignia was removed and whether it will be replaced with that of the new King.

We are also lobbying for the retention of the monarch’s image on the Australian $5 note but a representative of the Reserve Bank had stated that “the government is consulting with the government”. Obviously the government does not care about the people who should surely have a right to have their say.

Such is the dictatorial attitude of this government. It is up to us, the people, to stand up and defeat its insidious plans for constitutional change and then shout from the rooftops that we have taken back our democracy under the Crown from their authoritarian regime.

These and other matters will be discussed at our campaign meetings which will be held around the country over the next few months. The first is combined with a lunch in Sydney on the 30th of this month with the Hon. Eric Abetz, Chairman of our campaign. Why not come along and have your say? You can book here: Lunch with the Hon. Eric Abetz  or you can contribute towards our campaign if you have not already done so, here: Please donate

Thank you so much
Yours sincerely

Philip Benwell
National Chair

Australian Monarchist League
http://www.monarchist.org.au/

Further to my recent email, pictured above is a current photograph of the gates outside Kirribilli House totally denuded of the initials of the Royal cypher of Elizabeth II.

This is what a republic will be like. Everything we know and cherish of our traditions and our history will be torn down and replaced with whatever the politicians may decide is best for us.

The fact is, there is no protocol or need whatsoever to remove the late Queen’s cipher, badge or any other representation of her reign following her death. These can remain forever unless a decision is made to replace any one with CR or CIIR.

Similarly the badges and flags with the Crown image of Edward the Confessor which remains the pre-eminent royal Crown. It is that Crown with which King Charles will be crowned.

The fact that His Majesty has a new cipher does not mean that everything existing has to changed or be removed.

An appeal is made to all members and supporters to keep a watch out for the removal of royal representations either by Federal or State governments. We have to put an end to republicanism by stealth. These are all matters to be decided if, and only if, the people decide for a republic and even then there is no need to remove historical royal symbols.

We now prepare for 2023, which will be the 30th anniversary of when the Australian Monarchist League was first reformed as an Australian organisation to, as I have said, educate on the Australian Constitution and Crown and come to its defence whenever it is under attack.

We have prepared a short survey to find out what sort of activities you want us to do bearing in mind that the Australian Monarchist League is not a social organisation for members but primarily a lobby and campaign organisation to educate on and defend the Australian Constitution and Crown against attack. You can link on to the survey below:

2023 will also be a time when we will need to start to set up groups and even subbranches in Federal electorates. If you wish to invite a few people to meet in your home or in a suitable place, we can offer guidance. The old saying ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ is only too true.

There are those who say a republic is not going to happen, and that we don’t need to do anything. If only that was true, but the fact is the federal government from its inception created an Assistant Minister for the Republic who is already going around the country spruiking how their (politicians’) republic will be good for everyone.

The government has also established a taxpayer-funded republic ‘consultation’ process and it has already started to remove the symbols and traditions of our constitutional monarchy.

As George Washington is said to have stated “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”

The Australian Monarchist League is preparing for what is to come and if a republic referendum is not proceeded with, then is that not most likely because we were prepared?

Yours sincerely,

Philip Benwell
National Chair

Link to survey:  AML 2023 Survey
Link to Sydney lunch with Hon. Eric Abetz: Eric Abetz Lunch 

Please share this email with anyone whom you think may be interested.

Australian Monarchist League
http://www.monarchist.org.au/