Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great pride that I rise to speak about this motion to do with a referendum on the republic. I think this is the longest time in the history of Australia that we have not had a referendum on any topic, and it is time to return to this issue. I remember 6 November 1999 very well. I think I was working in the member for Ryan's electorate on that day. It was the day of the Wallabies' World Cup win at Twickenham where that great republican John Eales received the William Webb Ellis cup from Her Majesty. I think that moment summed up the dichotomy that is Australia. There was a republican sportsperson, someone who is perfect—they say nobody is perfect but John Eales is as close as they get sporting-wise—receiving the trophy where Australia won the World Cup.

I remember that day, and it is time to revisit that. As the member for Fraser mentioned, what logic can there possibly be for the fact that no Australian child can ever be our head of state? I heard the words from the member for Ryan, who talked about the signs and symbols, with her argument basically being that our head of state, the Queen of England—the Queen of Australia when she is here—is effectively only a sign and symbol. As anyone knows, as a Catholic or as a politician, signs and symbols always represent the truth that is behind them.

I know that we lift the mace every day in the House of Representatives, and that is an important symbol. The Speaker guards the mace, the symbol of the people's power. And I know that this building is designed to show that line of power from the Great Hall through the cabinet room through to the Prime Minister's office, to show that the Prime Minister is the people's representative, but there is also that other great line of power from the House of Representatives through the middle of the building under the flag representing the Australian people through to the other place. It is an interesting part of Australian history that this building has gone 14 years without our considering this question.

I think that in 1999, as the member for Fraser detailed, Malcolm Turnbull and the other people who led the republican referendum were hoodwinked, were tricked, were outmanoeuvred, by Sophie Mirabella, Tony Abbott and the monarchists. Sadly, some Labor people were a part of that process. I respect their rights. I personally have never seen a need to create another politician, which would be what would happen if we had a directly elected president, but I am more open to a discussion about that process now than I was on 6 November 1999. I do think we need to go to the Australian people. If we had a directly elected President, if it were done under similar rules and concepts to what the member for Ryan said, in that they were only symbolic and were not able to—I know that Her Excellency the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, is the head of our defence forces, but I do not think there is a great chance of her going out and rustling up the fleet to invade another nation at the moment. Obviously things have changed over the years.

We have progressed as a nation. There is a theory—constitutional lawyers even say—that since the Australia Act we are effectively a republic anyway. Obviously the signs and symbols that we acknowledge in this building and throughout the RSLs throughout Australia suggest that that is not the case. King Charles III and his successors, be they male or female, do have real capacity to say that they are our head of state. I understand that argument. That is why we do need to revisit this and we do need to educate. I do not want the Australian people to confuse their popular support for and interest in well-known people from the United Kingdom such as the prince who will be visiting. That is great, but because someone is well known and popular does not mean that they necessarily should be our head of state; otherwise, we would end up with Kim Kardashian as our head of state if we used that logic! I believe that we should have a proper process and we should have an Australian head of state in the near future, and this government should bring on this referendum. (Time expired)

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