News from the Centre for Citizenship

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…

Prime Minister Tony Blair is said to have put aside his opposition to the election of House of Lords legislators after long arguments in the cabinet. As a result the Labour Party election manifesto includes a commitment to a free vote on the composition of that chamber. It is likely that this will eventually lead…

The Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph newspapers have refused to run advertisements placed by Republic, Britain’s largest republican group. The advert called for the right to appoint the head of state to be taken from the Windsor family and given to the people through elections. The Telegraph told The Guardian newspaper that such adverts were…

The Church of England achieved a 13.6% return on its investments in 2004. The record of its investment fund over the last ten years put it in second place out of more than 1000 such funds. According to the Financial Times these profits resulted from heavy investment in commercial and residential property. The state church…

The government is considering a “levy” on owners of personal computers to finance the BBC. According to its green paper on the future of the state media giant this may be necessary if large numbers switch to watching TV on the Internet instead of using traditional television receivers. It is not clear whether the government…