our flag - as it will STILL be after we vote 'yes'republic oz

don't we already have an aussie head of state in the governor-general?

The Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) are expending a lot of energy in an attempt to have the Governor-General recognised as Australia’s Head of State. They are urging supporters to write to the Prime Minister asking him to declare that the Governor-General is our Head of State. Their reasoning is that the Republicans’ main thrust is that Australia should have an Australian Head of State so if they (ACM) can establish that we already have one, Republicans have no case.

They state that "A supporter is spending most of his time on this, and so far got the agreement of Government House to remove the word ‘Head of State’ from the website. Earlier it was used to apply to the Queen."

During the lead up to the Republic Referendum in 1999, the Queen’s own website was amended, replacing the term ‘Head of State’ with ‘Sovereign’ in reference to her role in Australia. Monarchists began using this reference to argue their case soon after the change. Did they influence the royal site as they did the Government Site?

However, there is ample evidence from the Queen’s own words and on her website to imply that she still regards herself as our Head of State.

"...Fifty years ago, in 1949, India became the first republic with its own head of state to be a member of the Commonwealth."

(by implication therefore - all non-republics in the Commonwealth still have the Queen as Head of State)

"The Queen is Head of State of the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms".

  • The New Zealand Governor General’s website clearly state that the Queen is their Head of State. From http://www.gov-gen.govt.nz/role/ "The Role of the Governor-General of New Zealand…

The Governor-General is the personal representative of our Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand."

Our system of government is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada and Head of State.

Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth ll, represented by Governor-General, Major-General (rtd) Michael Jeffrey (2003-)

Also – if our Governor-General is our Head of State should he not take an Oath to serve us, the Australian people? Instead, his Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance refer only to the Queen.

From our own G-G's site http://www.governorgeneral.gov.au/html/fset_role.html the oaths our G-G took…

  • Oath of Office

I, PHILIP MICHAEL JEFFERY, do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law, in the office of Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of the Commonwealth of Australia, without fear or favour, affection or ill will. SO HELP ME GOD!

  • Oath of Allegiance

I, PHILIP MICHAEL JEFFERY, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law. SO HELP ME GOD!

Finally, if the Monarchists’ campaign is successful and the term ‘Head of State’ is officially used in Australia to refer to the Governor-General then where on earth does that leave the Queen? She is already impotent as Head of State – but if not Head of State she has absolutely no role here at all.

She should be sacked!!
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