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Still
Fighting
By Allison Henry
January, 2003
Workers Online
Three
years since the constitutional referendum, and despite
constant reports of its impending demise, the Australian
Republican Movement is still around and active.
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While
the republican issue remains on the back burner of the
Australian people's consciousness, the Australian Republican
Movement has been working hard to establish true grassroots
support and activism across the country, so that when
our time comes again, we're well equipped for the challenge.
Having
spent most of 2002 rebuilding the foundations of the
organisation - establishing local community forums in
areas as diverse as Penrith, Armidale, the Hills and
Sutherland, for example - the ARM is looking forward
to another productive year in 2003.
The
ARM in 2003 will focus on a range of community and political
initiatives. At a grassroots level, the Movement will
be aiming to build upon the broad community support
for an Australian Head of State, with special focus
on young Australians, women and rural and regional communities.
Politically, the ARM will continue to lobby all Australian
political parties to declare their own plans for an
Australian republic,
Community
initiatives
Young
people born as recently as the early 1990s may well
be voting in the next republican referendum so it is
essential to the future of the movement that they get
on board. A major focus of the ARM in the New Year will
therefore be to encourage more young Australians to
become involved in the republican debate. Starting with
a nationwide push to establish student republican clubs
during university O-weeks, the ARM will also be launching
curriculum materials for senior high school students
and establishing a TAFE network later in the year.
The
ARM will also be looking in 2003 to improve its engagement
with women of all ages, and all backgrounds, on the
issue of an Australian Head of State. As polling has
consistently identified a distinct hesitation in female
support for an Australian republic, the ARM has established
a Women's Network that will increasingly be seeking
to connect with Australian women on this issue.
The
ARM acknowledges that an Australian republic will only
come to fruition with support beyond the inner metropolitan
areas of our cities. To that end the ARM is developing
a regional strategy and will continue to support, as
a matter of priority, the establishment of local ARM
forums in outer metropolitan and regional areas. We
will continue to undertake whatever activities we can
to broaden and enhance the debate concerning an Australian
Head of State beyond our traditional areas of support.
Political
initiatives
In
addition to these grassroots community pursuits, the
ARM in 2003 will be undertaking a myriad of activities
to drive the political debate forward. Following on
from the release of the Six Models for an Australian
Republic discussion paper in 2001, the ARM will early
in the New Year release a discussion paper examining
the various processes available - such as plebiscites,
constitutional conventions and parliamentary committees
- to move towards an Australian republic.
The
ARM will also continue to engage with Australia's political
leaders - who will ultimately be responsible for bringing
an Australian republic to fruition. During 2003 the
ARM will be particularly supportive of parliamentary
initiatives - such as that currently proposed by the
Democrats in the Senate - that will reexamine the republican
issue.
A
recent Newspoll found that a majority of Australians
were in favour of an Australian Head of State and wanted
another referendum within five years. The ARM will be
pursuing all means at its disposal to bring this intention
to fruition in 2003.
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