Philip Benwell, MBE
He had earlier coordinated the Queen Elizabeth Gate Appeal in Australia raising the largest amount of any Commonwealth country other than the UK. The Appeal had been established by Prince Michael of Kent to build the Queen Elizabeth Gates in Hyde Park, London as a tribute to the Queen Mother.
Benwell has written a number of books and papers including:
“In Defence of Australia's Constitutional Monarchy.”
ISBN: 07734-66967 (2003)
“A very public affair – The Australian Constitution and Crown.”
ISBN: 978-0-646-51652-3 (2013/4)
"Australia - Our Country, Our Constitution, Our Governance."
ISBN: 978-0-646-96330-3 (2016).
Prior to his involvement in the Australian Monarchist League, Benwell had been engaged in various community and sporting activities. He was awarded the MBE in 1976 for his work within the community.
His advice on the Australian and British Constitutions has been often sought in Britain and elsewhere. The late Lord Molyneaux of Killead commented that Benwell “is renowned not only in Australia but throughout the Commonwealth for his dedication to sound governance. His first-hand experience of structures in most nations of the world, where his judgment is widely respected, has led to his advice being widely sought in democracies great and small.”
He has written ‘The Wattle Crown’ as a tribute to Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Australia, whom he has served in a voluntary capacity for half of his life.
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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
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Philip Benwell published Republicans Show No Decency Whatsoever in Media Releases 2022-10-06 08:59:34 +1100
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
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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
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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 moneyPetition 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. -
Philip Benwell published Honouring The Queen. A Video by AML Young Monarchists 2022-09-14 04:32:33 +1000
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Philip Benwell donated 2023-02-14 21:01:14 +1100
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Philip Benwell donated 2022-07-24 13:33:11 +1000
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Philip Benwell published Letter to Prime Minister Albanese in Vote No Republic 2022-07-21 21:10:45 +1000
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
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Internships
VOLUNTARY INTERNSHIPS
With the Australian Monarchist LeagueThe 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
BookkeepingThe 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] -
Philip Benwell donated 2023-03-29 10:06:31 +1100
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Fundraising Dinner with Ms Margaret Cunneen SC
A Private Silver-Service Dinner
withMs Margaret Cunneen SC
on
Friday the 1st of July 2022Tickets: $550 per person
Funds to go towards our Vote No Republic Campaign
Click here to book: -
Philip Benwell published Petition for Constitution Minister in Vote No Republic 2022-06-05 22:19:12 +1000
Petition to Appoint a Shadow Minister for the Constitution
On the 31st of May 2022, Anthony Albanese appointed an Assistant Minister for the Republic who has now been sworn in as a part of the new government. We have therefore created the below petition calling on the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Peter Dutton MP, to appoint a Shadow (Assistant) Minister for the Constitution.
We call on all those who support and wish to uphold Australia’s current Constitution to please sign the petition as set out below.To The Honourable Peter Dutton MP
On the 31st of May 2022 the Prime Minister, the Hon. Anthony Albanese MP announced his cabinet which included the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP as Assistant Minister for Defence, Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Assistant Minister for the Republic.
On the 5th of June 2022 you announced your Shadow Ministry which did not include any formal opposition to Mr Thistlethwaite as Assistant Minister for the Republic.
We, the undersigned, do therefore humbly petition you as Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition to give consideration to appointing a Shadow (Assistant) Minister for the Constitution. Furthermore, we earnestly request, in the event you do appoint such a Shadow Minister for the Constitution, that that Minister not be a republican.
Yours sincerely -
Federation Day - January 1st
The Australian Monarchist League reminds all Australians that January the 1st marks the 121st anniversary of Australia’s end as six colonies of the United Kingdom and their joint establishment as a sovereign and independent nation. On that day the colonies, which became our six states, federated into one indissoluble union under the Crown and under a new constitution.
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"Don't mention the P-word"
If the model released today by the Australian Republic Movement is the model to be voted on, were a referendum to be called, then monarchists will be able to sit back and watch republicans and politicians who want the parliament to appoint a president, battle with the ARM.
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Sandilands is Wrong
Reference the heading in the Daily Mail Australia “Major win for the Australian Republic Movement as high-profile monarchist Kyle Sandilands denounces the royal family and says he will no longer support them after the Queen dies.” It should be made clear that the Australian Monarchist League, which is the largest and most active member-based monarchist organisation in Australia, has never, at any time, received any offer of support from Mr Sandilands and he does not appear anywhere on our 50,000 plus proven database of supporters, many of whom are under the age of 40.
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FitzSimons Proposes New Flag
“Peter FitzSimons has floated a new proposal for the Australian flag which would see the Union Jack replaced with the Aboriginal flag.” … “The move to ditch the Royal family would open up the opportunity for the country to decide on a new flag, over 120 years after Federation.” (News.com 27/1/22)
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Matters of State
Matters of State
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Articles now appearing in the media calling for the Queen to abdicate due to her mobility problems completely fail to understand both Her Majesty herself and the meaning of the Coronation Oath she took 69 years ago. -
Philip Benwell published Public Banned from Jubilee Events in Media Releases 2022-06-01 11:55:53 +1000
Public Banned from Jubilee Events
The disgraceful act of a new government
The People Banned from Official Platinum Jubilee EventsJust days after taking the reins of power, the new Federal Government (through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) have prevented everyday Australians from attending the two main national celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in Canberra.
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Philip Benwell published People Banned from Jubilee Events in Vote No Republic 2022-06-01 07:37:30 +1000
People Banned from Jubilee Events
Issued on 31/5/22
The disgraceful act of a new government
The People Banned from Official Platinum Jubilee EventsJust days after taking the reins of power, the new Federal Government (through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) have prevented everyday Australians from attending the two main national celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in Canberra.
On Tuesday 31 May 2022, the Australian Government's official Platinum Jubilee website was updated to say that Platinum Jubilee Beacon lighting ceremony, which commences official celebrations of The Queen's 70 years on the throne on Thursday 2 June, is "an official invitation only" event, meaning that only a select group of invited politicians and officials can attend.
This is an absolute disgrace. The Platinum Jubilee Beacon lighting ceremony is an outdoor event to be held in a large public space, [We presume the forecourt of Parliament House]. This was the setting for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, which Prime Ministers Gillard and Abbott attended] meaning there can be no excuse for the public being excluded.
After all, Parliament House is supposed to be 'The People's House' where their government sits; a government in which The Queen is, in the words of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard "...a vital constitutional part, not a guest" (Speech by PM Julia Gillard, 20 October 2011 - see The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 October 2011, Queen welcomed to Parliament House (smh.com.au)
In an even more shameful move, the public have been prevented from attending the Aspen Island renaming ceremony on Saturday 4 June 2022, a ceremony at which the island on Lake Burley Griffin will be renamed Queen Elizabeth II Island and the Queen Elizabeth Water Gardens dedicated.
This will be the nation's most lasting tribute to a sovereign who has selflessly served the people of Australia for 70 long and eventful years, but politicians are preventing the people from taking part in the celebrations.
Given that the Island is an open-air venue with a great deal of space for members of the public to stand or sit, the fact that they are being denied access and ignored indicates where the sympathies of political elites and bureaucrats lie. On every one of her many visits to the nation's capital,
The Queen has been welcomed by thousands of eager well-wishers and admirers from all walks of life, including on Aspen Island itself: The Queen officially opened the National Carillon there on 26 April 1970.
All that the public will be able to witness are the RAAF planes flying over the Lake and a 21-gun salute firing in the distance; from the ceremonies and official events they are barred.
That the Australian people have been excluded at the last minute from celebrating their sovereign's Platinum Jubilee at the heart of these national events is shameful, and it is fervently hoped that the decision will be reversed and the events opened to the public.
Philip Benwell
National Chair
Australian Monarchist League
