Ausflag calls for Brits to be barred from republic referendum

The World Today, 1 September 1999, ABC Radio

Compere
Let's have a look at Australia's own referendum, coming in November, and there's been a call for British subjects to be denied a vote in that referendum on the republic, but it's been condemned by both sides of the campaign. A lobby group which wants to change the Australian flag is raising money for a High Court challenge to the voting rights of 300,000 Australian residents who still hold British citizenship. An election analyst has found that British subjects could determine whether Australia becomes a republic or not. Fiona Reynolds reports.

Fiona Reynolds
By law, British subjects have the legal right to vote in Australian elections and referendums. Only those who arrived since 1984 have needed to take up Australian citizenship. But despite what the law says, a group lobbying to change the flag says British subjects don't have a moral right to decide whether Australia becomes a republic. Ausflag's Harold Scruby wants that tested in the High Court, in case a plebiscite is held on the flag later.

Harold Scruby
In the end the Australian flag has to go before the same electorate, and although we don't require a majority of states, we don't want 300,000 non-Australians voting in that plebiscite. If they don't want to become Australians, why would they want to change the flag. I mean, clearly their loyalties in general would lie with the Union Jack.

Fiona Reynolds
The republic can only be passed by a 'yes' vote in a majority of states. ABC election analyst Antony Green has found that New South Wales and Victoria are most likely to support constitutional change. Tasmania is a possibility. Western Australia could then be the key, and Anthony Green says the high proportion of British subjects in that state could decide the outcome.

Antony Green
WA is likely to be one of the four states that could cast a referendum. South Australia and Queensland are highly unlikely to pass a referendum unless there's a huge surge towards it. So in that case, West Australia could be the deciding state ,it could come down to a couple of thousand votes in Western Australia, and the English migrants on the roll may determine it.

Fiona Reynolds
Australians for constitutional monarchy were outraged by Ausflag's suggestion that British subjects be denied the vote. No Republic Campaign director, David Elliott. breitling replica watches

David Elliott
For a prominent republican to now come out and say 'Let's cling to the role of those 300,000 people that have been in Australia for decades', is just the last sign of desperation. Clearly the republicans are feeling that they can only win this campaign if they move the goal posts. It is appalling to think that the republican movement are so desperate for votes that they have to cling to the roll that they have to reduce the roll, and get rid of anybody that may be voting for a republic. It's a desperate sign from a desperate campaign.

Fiona Reynolds
You would say that though wouldn't you, when electoral analysts suggest that these British subjects could in fact determine whether Australia becomes a republic?

David Elliott
My understanding is that nobody knows how each individual Australian is going to vote. I mean, can you guarantee me that these people are going to be voting 'no'? You can't. Nobody can tell us how people are going to vote. There's polls that are all over the place. I mean, clearly these people are now going to feel alienated by the ARM. Clearly these people are now going to feel, well the republicans don't even think that I should get a say, and so they feel, and rightly so, very very offended.

Fiona Reynolds
But the Australian Republican Movement was also quick to reject the call. Chairman Malcom Turnbull says anyone on the electoral roll should be allowed to vote.

Malcolm Turnbull
Our research and our experience indicates that they are no more likely to vote for the monarchy than other Australians. You know, you have to remember that a lot of British people came to Australia because they wanted to get away from the class system and the whole hereditary, you know, monarchical system in the UK.

Fiona Reynolds
Mr Scruby is a republican. Are you concerned that his talk of mounting a High Court challenge could in fact alienate these potential voters?

Malcolm Turnbull
Well I think it potentially could, but Mr Scruby is a man who does his own thing. There are very few people who do their own thing more determinedly than Mr Scruby, so it's very hard to persuade him to go one way or the other. Look, there's no doubt that it is anomalous that there are people on the electoral roll who are not Australian citizens, and it's really an anachronism, it's part of our history.

Fiona Reynolds
Interestingly though, Malcolm Turnbull was once a member of Ausflag.

Compere
Fiona Reynolds in Canberra.