For your information we attached an open letter to the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon Robert Carr MLA in response to his suggestion to amend the Constitution to make the Governor-General Head of State: 19 December 1999 The Hon. Robert Carr MLA Premier of New South Wales, Office of the Premier Parliament House Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 Dear Premier, Whilst undoubtedly there were people who voted at the recent Referendum against the republic on offer in the hope of a future choice more to their liking, one only has to study the areas which voted no to appreciate that the decision of the people was overwhelmingly to retain The Queen. The Australian Monarchist League has for years been aware of this fact as the very support base of the League (numbering in excess of 15,000) has always predominantly derived from those same country and urban [Labor electorates] which nationally voted NO. A major decision of the Imperial Conference of 1926 was that the Governor General became the actual Head of State of Australia, with duties and responsibilities to the Australian Government and people, and no longer subservient to the British Government. Following the l930 Imperial Conference the Governor-General had the same sort of constitutional relationship with the Australian Government as The King had with the British Government and was no longer recommended to the Sovereign by the British Prime Minister but by the Australian Prime Minister. These and other decisions were incorporated in the Statute of Westminster of 1931 adopted by Australia in 1942. Accordingly the Australian Monarchist League would support a move to constitutionally enshrine these decisions effectively making the Governor General Australia's Head of State provided that the position of The Queen is similarly enshrined as 'Sovereign of Australia'. However we object and take umbrage at the use of the words (as per the article in the Sunday Telegraph of the 19th December 1999) "It removes her, and it leaves us with the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia" as we do with the heading of the said article 'Second push for republic'. Your proposal appears to simply be the constitutional enshrinement of what has already been a fact for over fifty years through legislative adoption of the Statute of Westminster. Whatever the terminology and application of the words 'Head of State', the power of the Nation will continue to remain vested in The Crown which is subject to the will of the People and not the politicians. Following the decision of the People of New South Wales in opposing a Republican Agenda, may we now look forward to the restoration of the Governor of New South Wales into Government House? Yours sincerely, Philip Benwell National Chairman ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is the Neither public email list, open for the public and general discussion. To unsubscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=unsubscribe To subscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=subscribe For information on [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.neither.org/lists/public-list.htm For archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
