The Australian Republic Movement will today announce establishment of a high-level advisory panel, comprising a diverse group from politics, business, academia, media and the law.

The group of eminent republicans includes former parliamentarians from across the political divide: Labor leader Kim Beazley, Victorian premier Steve Bracks, Nationals leader Tim Fischer and Liberal Senate leader Robert Hill.

The Australian Republic Advisory Panel will act as patrons for the republican cause, provide guidance on legal and constitutional issues and advise on campaign strategy and tactics.

The other appointments are: book publisher Louise Adler, Transfield managing director Luca Belgiorno-Nettis, company directors Marina Go and Catherine Harris, Monash University chancellor Simon McKeon, ­senior counsel Jane Needham, entrepreneur Talal Yassine, historians Clare Wright and Ross Fitzgerald, and academics Larissa Behrendt, Helen Irving and Kim Rubenstein.

ARM chairman Peter Fitz­Simons said the push to have an Australian head of state continued to gain momentum, with thousands of new supporters and volunteers signing up this year.

“The campaign for an Australian head of state is a big Australian cause with a big head of steam building up,” FitzSimons said. “We’re drawing on support from every community and every section of society and today is another big step forward. These leading Australians have offered their time and energy to a great campaign. They share a simple belief: Australia’s head of state should be a citizen of Australia. Who could seriously argue anything different?”

Its been a busy year for the ARM with the appointment of new executive director Michael Cooney, a former speechwriter to Julia Gillard and adviser to Mark Latham.

Troy Bramston, The Australian, December 15, 2017, p 6.