Australian Monarchist League -

I am honoured to be at this launch of the Queenslanders for Constitutional Monarchy candidates for the Convention to discuss whether Australia should become a Republic.

We struck a snag in the Senate - Labor, Democrats and Senator Harradine do not want half the 152 delegates to be selected by voluntary postal vote,

I appreciate your decision to make me the second candidate for Canberra with my friend and previous Senator Dr, Glen Sheil as No 1 on the ticket. Glen and I worked together in the Senate for a number of years and I know that he too stands for Constitutional Government as we have it in Australia at present.

1 do not believe that we need to become a Republic - we have grown and developed over the past 200 years, and as far I am concerned we have an Australian an Governor General chosen by the Government of the day. The Republicans argue that Australia is not a true democracy we do not elect our Head of State, Does anyone seriously suggest that Australia is less of a democracy than countries like Ireland, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa, just because they have an elected President. Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin were elected Heads of State, and they were home grown too.

The leaders of the old Soviet Union, North Korea and most of Banana Republics have all been through some kind of republican process, but that has not saved these nations from dictatorship. The question is this: in which system would one prefer to live? Most Australians I am sure would recognise that they would much rather enjoy the freedom that we have under our Constitutional monarchy than live in places such as North Korea, the People's Republic of China, or Indonesia.

The facts are that, within our region, it is the republics which are the least tolerant of nations and which have the least respect for the rights of individuals. The worth of our democracy is not determined by the number of elections held, but by the quality of our representative decision making processes, Suggestions that Australia should become a republic are not new. John Lang thought a republic was inevitable in 1851. The "Bulletin" was an advocate of a republic in the 1800's but had recanted by 1900. Henry Lawson spoke of a republic as inevitable in the 1890's, but died a strong supporter of Constitutional Monarchy.

I believe our system of Constitutional Monarchy has served this country well. Our country has grown and prospered from the most unlikely beginnings. We have enjoyed peace and harmony unparalleled in the world, and I hope and pray that we will continue to remain that way. We cannot escape the simple historical truth that the majority of early settlers who pioneered this country, explored it, and developed our modern society. They came here from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

It is British values and standards that underwrote Australia's development. Moreover, our early settlers brought with them our basic social and political institutions which have served us well for over two hundred years.

Our Westminster system of government has come down to us from as far back as Simon de Montfort's First Parliament of 1265 in England.

Then there is our heritage of English common law, with such principles as trial by jury, natural justice and the like, many authorities date back to 1215, when the barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta and despite the growth of Humanist philosophies, declining church attendance, and attempts under the guise of multiculturalism to reduce the influence of Christian principles in society, Australia is still regarded as a Christian country - as seen in the Preamble to the Constitution which "humbly beseeches the blessings of Almighty God" - in the daily prayers in parliament; and in the concept of Christian justice which pervades our legal system.

These are a reminder of the spiritual inheritance which has come to us from Great Britain. In denigrating our British and European origins, some argue we are part of Asia and our flag and constitution should reflect this. How silly. Geographically Australia is closer to Antarctica than it is to south-east Asia, which lies almost north of the equator - and between us we have New Guinea, whose land and people and can scarcely be called Asian.

These arguments also conveniently forget other Asian countries are already monarchies, such as Thailand and Japan. And about Brunei and Malaysia The facts are that, in what is loosely call Asia, there are as many Constitutional Monarchies as there are republics.

Furthermore, we are a continent on our own. Australia is not a 'part of the Asian continent' just as much as the Soviet Union is not.

We certainly may trade to some increasing extent with some of these countries, but that is all. In terms of culture, historical roots, language, religion, political and legal processes, free way of life, and in so many other areas of Australia has little in common with any countries of the actual Asian region - other than to enjoy friendly relations and to share in trade and sporting contacts for mutual benefit.

Finally, to argue we should change these ties because of the numbers of other nationalities settling in Australia is a nonsense. Unlike the British convicts who were forced to come here, these migrants CHOSE to come to Australia, And in choosing they accepted all that Australia was, and is, and they knew before they came of our British colonial past. In many cases the monarchy signifies the very stability for which migrants yearned. They came as migrants principally because they favoured our stable form of government. Of those a considerable number came from republics from they which were eager to leave.

This debate cannot simply be one of Republic or not. Instead the onus lies squarely with those who argue against the Australian monarchy to specify in detail the precise form in which they envisage a Republic to operate in this country. There are two problems that Republicans have to answer: Firstly how will the republic work, and secondly how can it make this democratic nation any more democratic than it is at the moment?

Republicans will tell you that it is going to be very easy to appoint the president. The president, they say , is going to appointed by two-thirds of the parliament sitting together. But think about it - how often does the Senate disagree with decisions of the House of Representatives? At best, two thirds of Parliament would be in agreement between whoever happened to be Prime Minister and whoever happened be the Leader of the Opposition. And 80 percent of Australians who say they would like a republic want a republic only if they get the chance to determine who will be the President.

What you have to remember is that it might be easy to appoint the president as the Republicans say, but the nightmare will be how to get rid of him!

Republicans cannot make the system they propose any more democratic than it is at present because the great power held by the Governor-General is the power, in the event of crisis, to dissolve the parliament and return the parliamentarians to answer to the people. Nothing could be more democratic than that.

I believe that our current system has served us well. Queen Elizabeth has done a wonderful job as Head of the Commonwealth and our Queen, but we have a Governor-General who, as I said earlier, is chosen by the government of the day.

The only reason we should think of changing our Constitutional Monarchy is if it can be proved that an alternative system is significantly superior and will deliver improved opportunities and a better lifestyle for Australians.

The Republican Movement has not been able to do this, and that is why 1 am glad to be on the list of candidates submitted by for Queenslanders for Constitutional Monarchy and the Australian Monarchist League to support the case for retaining our democratic system of Constitutional government as we have it in Australia at present.

Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen

Delivered to Public "Meet the Candidates" Rally,

Saturday, November. 8, 1997, 3 p.m., Theatre, YMCA Building,

325 George Street, Brisbane.