ONE CONSTITUTION, ONE PEOPLE: WHY UNITY MATTERS IN A TIME OF CHANGE
MELBOURNE

Tuesday, 10 June 2026

**Check against delivery**

E&OE……………

Good evening everyone,

And thank you for having me here tonight.

I want to acknowledge the Monarchist League in Australia
and the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy movement for the work you continue to do in defence of Australia’s constitutional system and the institutions that underpin it.

Because defending institutions is rarely fashionable.

Often, it only becomes appreciated after those institutions have already been weakened.

Too often, discussions about our constitutional monarchy are dismissed as symbolic or outdated.

But in these discussions, what we are really talking about is not symbolism.

We are talking about stability.
We are talking about restraint.
We are talking about continuity.
And we are talking about the institutions that hold a democratic society together.

Because when a nation loses confidence in its institutions, it begins to lose confidence in itself.

And I think Australians increasingly understand that.

Our constitutional system has served this country extraordinarily well.

It has helped deliver one of the most stable, prosperous and peaceful democracies anywhere in the world.

Not because power is concentrated.

But because power is restrained.

The Crown sits above politics.
Above ideology.
Above personal ambition.

That separation matters.

It is also worth remembering that Australia’s constitutional monarchy is not an accident of history.

It is one of the foundations of our success.

The Crown provides a non-political source of constitutional authority, ensuring that the institutions of government remain distinct from the temporary occupants of political office.

That principle has served Australia remarkably well.

While many nations have experienced constitutional instability, contested elections and political crises centred on executive power, Australia has benefited from a system where the office of Head of State remains separate from day-to-day political competition.

That separation is one of the great strengths of our constitutional arrangements.

It is one of the reasons Australia has avoided many of the political and constitutional crises that have destabilised other nations.

And at a time when public trust in institutions is declining across much of the Western world, that stability matters more than ever.

Because ultimately, the purpose of our constitutional arrangements is to bind Australians together as one people.

One Constitution.
One people.
One standard of citizenship and equality before the law.

That principle matters because shared institutions are what hold diverse societies together.

And increasingly, we are seeing what happens when societies begin to lose that sense of shared identity and common purpose.

When institutions become politicised.
When history is treated as something to be ashamed of rather than understood.
When national identity is fragmented into competing groups and competing grievances.

Over time, what once felt stable begins to feel uncertain.

And that uncertainty has consequences.

Because once people begin losing faith in shared institutions, trust begins to erode everywhere else as well:
In government,
In public debate,
In national identity,
And, even in each other.

That is why constitutional arrangements matter far beyond legal theory or parliamentary procedure.

They help shape the culture and cohesion of a nation.

That is why the debate around the Voice was so significant.

Australians were asked to fundamentally alter our Constitution by permanently dividing citizens on the basis of ancestry.

And Australians said no. In every state, and as a majority. Its rejection was emphatic.

Not because Australians are divisive people.

But because Australians still believe deeply in equality before the law.

They believe in equal citizenship.
Equal democratic rights.
And one united Australian people.

Because Australians still understand something profoundly important:

A Constitution should unite a nation — not divide it.

Yet we continue to hear calls for treaty processes, separate systems and increasingly fragmented approaches to national identity.

Australians are increasingly wary of creating new structures that separate citizens into different categories.

Because once citizens begin operating under different systems, social cohesion becomes harder — not easier — to maintain.

We are already seeing these concerns emerge in debates around Treaty processes and representative bodies at the state level, particularly around accountability, democratic legitimacy and public confidence.

Australians want practical outcomes, strong communities and equal citizenship — not endless institutional fragmentation.

I do not believe that is the path to greater unity or cohesion.

A strong nation cannot be built around permanent division.

It must be built around shared citizenship, shared institutions and shared responsibility.

Because Australians are strongest when we see ourselves first and foremost as Australians.

That does not mean ignoring history.

Nor does it mean denying hardship or disadvantage.

But it does mean recognising that the strength of Australia has always come from our ability to build a common national identity across people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences.

And our constitutional system has played a critical role in supporting that stability and continuity.

Because constitutional monarchy is not simply about tradition.

It is about constitutional balance.

It is about constitutional restraint.

It is about ensuring that democratic institutions remain larger than temporary political movements or ideological fashions.

And in a time where politics around the world is becoming increasingly polarised and unstable, that matters enormously.

Australians do not need to look very far internationally to see what happens when political systems lose restraint, lose cohesion and lose public trust.

That is why preserving stable institutions matters.

Not because institutions are perfect.

But because stable democracies depend on continuity, legitimacy and public confidence.

And while some people may dismiss these traditions as ceremonial, Australians should not underestimate the quiet stabilising force they provide.

Because stability is easy to dismiss when it is functioning well.

But once it is damaged, it is much harder to restore.

That is why the work that organisations like yours do matters.

Because defending institutions is not always exciting.
It is not always fashionable.
And it is rarely rewarded in the short term.

But over time, it becomes indispensable.

And while constitutional monarchy may not dominate the daily political cycle, the principles that sit beneath it remain critically important: stability, restraint, continuity, accountability and equality before the law.

These are not abstract ideas.

They shape the culture of a nation.
They shape the expectations people have of government.
And they shape whether citizens continue to see themselves as part of one national community.

Because when a system delivers stability, equality and accountability, you do not take it apart lightly.

You protect it.

Not because it is old, but because it works.

And in a time of growing uncertainty and division, the stability, continuity and unity our Crown represents matters more than ever.

Because a nation held together by shared institutions, shared citizenship and equal treatment under the law is a nation that can face the future with confidence.

Thank you.

[Ends]