Labor is a strong supporter of the public’s right to know and we warmly welcome today’s release in full of the Palace Letters.
As we have long argued, the Australian people have a right to now the full history of the greatest political and constitutional crisis in Australia’s history.
What these letters reveal is that our unelected head of state, on the other side of the world, was advising the Governor-General on how to remove our elected Prime Minister – and never once thought to tell the elected Prime Minister what was being planned.
Just one week before the dismissal, The Queen’s Private Secretary, Sir Martin Charteris, advised the Governor-General he had the power to sack the elected Australian Prime Minister.
These letters confirm once again that Australia needs our own head of state. They confirm our Governor-General, is not our head of state, but an assistant appointed by the British Crown to oversee our affairs and report back.
After 119 years, it is now long past time Australia’s head of state is an Australian. An Australian devoted entirely to this nation, and not beholden to the advice, influence and interests of a foreign power.
Labor believes each and every Australian, no matter their background, birthplace, gender or religion should be able to aspire to be our nation’s head of state.
This includes our first Australians who are specifically excluded from even being considered as head of state of the land their ancestors have inhabited for tens of thousands of years. This is outdated and wrong. It doesn’t represent modern Australia.
An Australian Republic is about celebrating our independence and our unique culture and identity.
We are a proud, confident nation and we should be able to express this with our own head of state.
