Philip Benwell

The Prince and Princess of Wales to Visit Australia

The Prince and Princess of Wales to Visit Australia

The Australian Monarchist League is delighted to learn that the Prince and Princess of Wales are proposing to tour Australia in 2023. In the event they are accompanied by their children, it will be the first opportunity for Australians to see Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on Australian soil.

Monarchist Petition Dutton to Level the Playing Field

Monarchist Petition Dutton to Level the Playing Field

The Australian Monarchist League, Australia’s major organisation in opposing the government’s plans for a republic, is so concerned about the unfair advantage the Labor government has provided to republicans by gifting them a government minister that it has raised a petition with over 1000 signatories calling on the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Peter Dutton MP, to create a Shadow Assistant Minister for the Constitution.

Assistant Ministry for the Republic Should Be Abolished

Monarchists Call for the Assistant Ministry for the Republic to Be Abolished.

The Australian Monarchist League is calling on the Prime Minister to either abolish the Assistant Ministry for the Republic or, should he decline to do so, to either remove the Republic ministry or that of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs from the Assistant Minister as Defence and Veterans’ Affairs have nothing whatsoever to do with the government’s plans for a republic.

Are We on the Verge of Anarchy?

Are We on the Verge of Anarchy?

The pledge of allegiance was included in the Australian Constitution by our Founding Fathers for the specific purpose of ensuring that members of the Australian parliament accepted and were loyal to the Australian Constitution, the Australian system of governance and the Rule of Law. The pledge, whether by oath or by affirmation, is taken by MPs and Senators following their election or re-election to the Parliament. It is a pledge that binds them for life and can only be removed by the sovereign.

Pledge to Queen Needs to Go Say Republicans

Pledge to Queen Needs to Go Say Republicans

The Australian Republican Movement have just conducted a survey through the polling company Essential Media asking the question “As you may be aware, elected members of the Australian Parliament are required to make a pledge of allegiance. Who do you think they should be required to pledge to serve and bear allegiance to?”

The Morrison Portfolios

Republic No Answer to the Morrison Portfolios

The Assistant Minister for the Republic, Matt Thistlethwaite, has said (Australian 22/8/22) in talking about Mr Morrison’s extra portfolios that “If we had a head of state that was appointed by the Australian people then it is my view that the prime minister would not have gotten away with this” but then, I thought Mr Albanese had insisted there was no illegality.

The Thistlethwaite Indoctrination Campaign

The Australian Monarchist League was disappointed to read The Sydney Morning Herald’s interview (3/9/22) with The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP, Assistant Minister for the Republic.

Firstly, concerning this interview, The Sydney Morning Herald sought no comment from the Australian Monarchist League or the Vote No Republic campaign at large. The Australian Monarchist League has specifically requested that, in the interests of the Australian people, it be approached to provide equal commentary in opposition to applicable remarks published or aired by Mr Thistlethwaite, Peter FitzSimons, or any other republican spokesperson. This request was reported nationally only five days ago. The Australian Monarchist League is deeply concerned that The Sydney Morning Herald appears biased in its presentation of arguments pertaining to the removal of the Crown from the Constitution.

Eric Abetz to Head Monarchist Campaign

Former Minister Eric Abetz to Head the Monarchist’s Republic Campaign

The Australian Monarchist League is pleased to announce that former government minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Hon. Eric Abetz, is the new chairman of the monarchist campaign opposing the Albanese government's plans for a republic.

Labor Voters Oppose Republic

Around 60% of Labor Voters Oppose a Republic

“Now a clear majority of ALP voters, 58% - up a stunning 18% points since November 2012, say that Australia should remain as a Monarchy – a far larger change than by either L-NP voters or Greens voters who appear far more set in their ways.” Roy Morgan Market Research Update 20/9/22

Republicans Show No Decency Whatsoever

Republicans, not having any common decency, have immediately commenced their attack on King Charles and the Australian Constitution and we, the Australian Monarchist League, have no option but to counter their spurious and often false arguments

Thistlethwaite Wrong Again

Thistlethwaite gets it all wrong again
5/10/22

Matt Thistlethwaite recently tweeted "“The British PM stopped our head of state attending the COP 27 conference to speak about the importance of stronger action to combat climate change. We need a head of state that represents the aspirations of the Australian people, not the wishes of the British government.”

What he doesn't understand is that, in the UK, the King is the executive head of state but in Australia it is the Governor-General who is the executive head of state.  However, it is not the duty or the purpose of a head of state within the Westminster system to attend conferences.  Neither the King nor the Australian Governor-General have any power to make any decision on behalf of the government. That is why conferences are attended by the head of government, who is the Prime Minister or his or her nominee. 

As Assistant Minister for the Republic, Mr Thistlethwaite should understand how our system of governance works before attacking it.

Perhaps Mr Thistlethwaite should be better named the Assistant Minister of the Clowns!

END

Keep Our Sovereign On Our Money

Petition to the Federal Parliament to Retain the Monarch’s Effigy on Australian Coins and the $5 Note.

News.com reported on 14 September 2022 that “it [Australian Republican Movement] would push for Queen Elizabeth’s image to be removed from the $5 note and will also request the government refrain from using King Charles III’s image on coins from 2023.”

These calls are yet another example of republicanism by stealth. As a Constitutional Monarchy, it is customary for the King or Queen’s effigy to appear on our coins. The minting of the King’s effigy on Australia’s currency not only represents the beginning of a new era, but also the special relationship between His Majesty and the Australian people.

The government should not arbitrarily impose their republican objectives on the people and until the people themselves decide at referendum to change to a republic should honour the King as sovereign of this country. 

Please therefore give consideration to signing the petition which will be presented in the House of Representatives once we have sufficient signatures. Please also encourage others to likewise sign. The more people to stand up for the right thing to do, the more likely the government is to listen to us.

Please note that this is an e-petition to be tabled in the House of Representatives. Accordingly only Australian Citizens or Residents with an Australian address can sign. This is why address details and phone numbers are required. 

Title
Keep our Sovereign on our money

Petition terms
Australia's currency has always featured representations of our monarch, firstly on coins and more recently on notes. It is now a well-established practice that the image of our reigning monarch appears on the $5 note. King Charles III has acceded to the throne and is King of Australia, and so should appear on our Australian currency. The minting of the King’s effigy on our currency will not only represent the beginning of a new era, but also the special relationship between His Majesty and the Australian people.

Request for action
We therefore ask the House to ensure that the Commonwealth Government (including the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Royal Australian Mint) causes the King's image to be included on the Australian $5 note, and his effigy on the obverse of all Australian coins, as soon as practicable.

Honouring The Queen. An AML Young Monarchist Video

Help AML reach more Australians

Qld Spring Soirée

Please Contribute to the Jubilee Concert

Letter to Prime Minister Albanese

Members of the Defence Forces have all sworn allegiance to the Queen and, as such, are required to protect the Constitution and the people. The Governor-General is commander-in-chief as representative of the Queen. (Clause 68. The command in chief of the naval and military forces of the Commonwealth is vested in the Governor-General as the Queen's representative.)

We believe that the combining of the assistant ministries of Defence, Veterans’ Affairs and republic have been done for a reason. We leave it to your imagination to reason why.

Furthermore, the combining of these ministries is an insult to present and past defence personnel and should never have been allowed.

The below letter to prime minister Albanese calls on him to separate these assistant ministries and we urge all those who agree, to sign it and after doing so send the link to all those whom you think would also want to sign.

Thank you

Note: Please limit comments to less than 40 words and be respectful.

Dear Prime Minister

In the lead up to the last federal election on the 21st of May 2022 you specifically took the issue of a republic off the election agenda by inferring that there would be no move towards a republic in the first term of your government. However, one of your first actions as prime minister was to create an Assistant Minister for the Republic. Why did you break your commitment and make such an appointment without a mandate from the people? The fact that a republic is part of Labor Party policy is not relevant as far as a mandate from the people is concerned because you took it off the table.

Despite not having a mandate, on the 1st of June 2022, you arranged for the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP to be sworn in as Assistant Minister for Defence, Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Assistant Minister for the Republic.

We put it to you that to include the portfolio of the Republic alongside that of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs is a direct slur on the many brave men and women who fought and are fighting for this country, all of whom have pledged allegiance to the Queen and to many of whom a republic is an anathema.

We request that you abolish the Assistant Ministry for the Republic or if you decline to do so that you either remove the Republic ministry or that of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs from Mr Thistlethwaite.

The portfolio for a republic should never have been associated with Defence and Veterans’ Affairs in the first instance.

Yours faithfully

Liberty Newsletter - July 2022

Internships

VOLUNTARY INTERNSHIPS
With the Australian Monarchist League

The Australian Monarchist League is establishing a number of voluntary internships to assist with our campaign against a republic, or more properly put, to promote our system of constitutional monarchy. Internships may be eligible for employment, which may be on a full or part time or casual basis, once, or if, a formal campaign structure has been established.

The initial internships will cover:

 Social Media
 Outreach
 Bookkeeping

The internships will be voluntary although the League may be able to pay a token honorarium under certain circumstances.

Internships generally relate to university students or graduate undertaking higher degrees who are looking for work experience.

To be eligible, Interns should be members of the Australian Monarchist League.

Interested parties can apply to:

Philip Benwell, National Chair & CEO
[email protected]