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Members of the New South Wales parliament in Australia have voted to abolish the feudal oath of loyalty to the Windsor family, from which the Australian head of state is still appointed. Instead legislators will pledge their loyalty to Australia and the people of New South Wales. In Britain legislators who will not pledge allegiance…

According to an opinion poll conducted in January, 52 per cent of Australians want their country to become a republic if Charlie Windsor replaces his mother as hereditary head of state. At present only 34 per cent favour a republic. Twenty nine per cent of those polled were prepared to allow Mr. Windsor to take…

Federal employees in Canada are to be freed from the requirement that they swear an oath of loyalty to “queen” Windsor. The Public Service Modernisation Act will remove the offensive requirement from Canadian law from 1 January 2006. In a doubly bizarre arrangement Canada has a British so-called “queen” as its head of state. Republicans…

Animal Defenders International has won a court hearing on its claim that the 2003 Communications Act ban on political adverts on TV and radio breaches human rights. The case will not be heard until 2006. The Communications Act is enforced by the Office of Communications (OFCOM). This “regulator” also also attacks free speech by trying…

The Barbadian senate has passed the Referendum Bill, which provides for a referendum on whether the Caribbean nation should become a republic. The date of the referendum has not been decided. If voters agree the British Liz Windsor will be replaced as head of state by a citizen of Barbados. Barbados became independent of Britain…

The legislators-for-life in the House of Lords may be able to veto democratic reform if government fears prove correct. These fears are based on comments by the Court of Appeal that the Parliament Act should not be used to make major constitutional changes. Since 1911 the Act has allowed the House of Commons to eventually…

The removal of monarchical symbols from Australian public life is picking up speed. In April the New South Wales (NSW) legislative assembly agreed an amendment to the state consitution that would replace the pledge of loyalty to queen Windsor taken by ministers and MPs with a pledge to Australia and the people of NSW. The…

Republicans See Oaths Reform As Step To Republic New Zealand republicans have welcomed the Oaths Modernisation Bill, which will require new citizens and legislators to swear or affirm loyalty to New Zealand and to its democracy, rights and freedoms as well as to Elizabeth Windsor, Britain’s hereditary head of state. The Republicans Movement of Aotearoa…

Prime Minister Tony Blair has appointed 27 new legislators-for-life to sit in the House of Lords. Sixteen of the new legislators are labour party members, giving that party its first majority in the second chamber. A number of the new legislators are former MPs who chose not to stand for election by the people this…

The conservative party has protested against government plans to reform the House of Lords. Party spokesman Oliver Head said that reform of the unelected legislative chamber would marginalize what he described as “the only chamber of parliament these days that is able to stand up to” the prime minister. If government proposals are agreed it…