The chairman of the Australian Republic Movement, Peter FitzSimons, has announced he will step down from the role, paving the way for younger, more diverse voices to take the reins.
But the Australian Monarchist League says a change of leadership won’t revive the campaign or change how “elite” it is.
Speaking to Guardian Australia, FitzSimons said he never wanted to lead the movement through the actual referendum, saying he would not stand in the lobby group’s elections in October and would step down when his term finishes in November.
“I’ve been doing it for seven years, the nature of this is you need, it always needs fresh voices, fresh energy and fresh networks,” the author and journalist said. “You need people coming from all over. I’ve always said that I would never be the guy to take it to a referendum.
“It’s time for me to move on. I’ve been a drum for an ARM and now we probably need a flute.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September reignited debate over Australia’s constitutional independence, but polls have been largely inconclusive about its chances of success.
The ARM has reportedly been beset by divisions over whether it should go hard on supporting the Indigenous voice to parliament, or carve out its own campaign – unique from the other constitutional discussion.
FitzSimons said he believed a republic was possible within the next five years. But its success, he said, was underpinned by making the Indigenous voice to parliament a reality first.
“I personally support the voice,” FitzSimons said. “It hasn’t been a volatile issue, it’s been a point of discussion. It’s something that, for me, it is clear – if the voice goes through it certainly would be a good sign.”
FitzSimons said his successor would face numerous challenges, including an apathetic public with an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mindset.
“The second problem is – if you show me 10 republicans I’ll show you six preferred models. Then I’ll show you two people who say ‘if it’s not my model I won’t vote for it.’ And that’s what sunk the ‘99 referendum.”
“[But] things are moving on all fronts. There would never be a better moment for me to step aside and go ‘OK, it’s time for the next generation’.”
Next Friday candidates for the ARM’s national committee board will be announced, with elections to the board finalised by the end of the month. The new committee will meet for the first time in mid-November and a chair will be elected from the board.
The assistant minister for the republic, Matt Thistlethwaite, said the movement should look for “someone that has a keen direction for the organisation, and can help shape the narrative of an independent Australia”.
“Someone that connects with younger voters and multicultural Australians will be important in the success,” Thistlethwaite said.
Thistlethwaite said the republic campaign would start as soon as the voice was implemented.
“We’ve said Australia is on a journey to maturity and independence and the first step is the voice to parliament,” Thistlethwaite said. “Aboriginal Australians need to be heard and consulted about matters affecting them. That is something that needs to be done urgently and will pave the way for the next natural progression – for Australia to have one of our own as head of state.”
However, the Australian Monarchist League chairman, Eric Abetz, said the republican movement had lost faith with the Australian public.
“The people spoke at a referendum, the 1975 papers finally released after protracted legal battles plucked every single feather out of the republican cause’s conspiracy theories and their bizarre hopes of Australians disavowing our constitutional monarchy with the passing of Her Majesty has also come to naught,” Abetz said.
“Changing the leadership of the movement won’t change the innate bankruptcy of the movement and its elitism.”
Abetz said Australia’s constitutional monarchy “made us “the envy of the world” and helped make our democracy stronger.
“Irrespective of who leads the republican movement their cause is fatally flawed by their incapacity to explain how our world-leading democracy will be enhanced by having a president,” Abetz said “How would a republic benefit Australians?”
Former ARM chairman Geoff Gallop praised FitzSimons’ efforts leading the movement.
“Peter’s contribution has been extraordinary, and I am so glad to have drafted him to the cause in 2015,” Gallop said.
