The Australians for Constitutional Monarchy have moved to straighten out their Canberra branch after a heated public meeting last week.
At the meeting, Tony Miller, who said he was speaking for ACM, was accused of inciting sectarian hatred after he made references to the Irish Republican Army and Italian fascists.
ACM’s executive director, Tony Abbott, said yesterday that Mr Miller had been told that he was not entitled to speak on behalf of the organisation.
“”Australians for Constitutional Monarchy repudiates racism and sectarianism in all its forms,” he said.
The meeting had been called by the Federal Government’s Republic Advisory Committee to answer questions about its terms of reference about what kind of republic Australia should have.
Mr Abbott said the only people entitled to speak on behalf of ACM were members of the foundation council or their delegates. The only delegate so far was him.
“”The republican debate risks dividing the country as never before,” he said. “”Sectarian speeches were like putting petrol on a fire.”
As far as ACM was concerned “”sweeping statements on race and nationality are not on”.
ACM was hoping to get an ACT council and get some distinguished people on it very soon.
Independent ACT MLA Dennis Stevenson, who was at the meeting, said the vast majority of Australians were “”Australians for consitutional monarchy” without being a member of any organisation.
One of Mr Stevenson’s staffers spoke at the meeting. MR Stevenson said the present system was the best in the world because of the separation of powers.
Mr Abbott said ACM had formed a high-powered legal committee to consider the implications of any move towards a republic and to monitor the work of the Republican Advisory Committee.
The committee is chaired by Jack Lee, QC, who recently retired as Chief Judge of the common law-division of the Supreme Court of NSW. Other members are: Justice Ken Handley of the NSW Supreme Court; recently retired Supreme Court judge David Yeldham, QC; Professor Ivan Shearer, professor of constitutional law at Sydney University and J. D. Heydon QC, a former Sydney University professor of law, Arthur Emmett QC, barristers Jeff Phillips and Gregory Burton and Sydney solicitor Alan Loxton.
Former Chief Justice of the High Court Sir Harry Gibbs will be a consultant to the committee.
Mr Lee said any republican proposal must consider the effect of section 15 of the Australia Act which specifies that any amendment to that Act (which expressly recognises the monarchy) requires the agreement of all the states.