Historical Current Affairs Analysis

Dear………………………

 

You are cordially invited to a talk to be given by Mr. Philip Benwell, National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League (AML), entitled, ‘The Importance of Defending the Integrity of Australian States’.  This address is a regular Historical and Current Affairs (HCAA) talk and is co-sponsored by Save Our States (Victorian Branch).  The objective of the latter organization is to promote safeguard Australian states which are under threat from the proposed centralizing process of ‘regionalization’ (sic).    

 

 

Mr. Benwell has previously spoken on the threat of regionalization (http://www.socialactionaustralia.org//12/10/crown-and-federation) and will do so again at this function.  This talk will commence at 7:30 pm on Wednesday the 25^th of March 2009.  The talk will be held at a new venue for the HCCA talks:

 

                           The Imperial Hotel

                           2-8 Bourke Street

                           (Corner of Bourke Street and Spring Street)

                           Mel ways Ref Map 1 E Q 8

 

 

As with regular HCAA talks, the management of the Imperial Hotel would be appreciative if guests availed themselves of the opportunity to purchase a meal and/or a drink between in the hotel between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm.  The talk will be held in the function room which can be entered by using the stairs opposite the Bourke Street entrance. 

 

Mr. Benwell is at the forefront of defending Australia’s very successful system of constitutional monarchy.  The speaker published a book in the United States in 2003 entitled, “In Defence of Australia’s Constitutional Monarchy”.  This book has sold well in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and it has been used as a text book in universities and schools in those countries.

 

By invitation, Mr. Benwell has been a frequent speaker at meetings of the House of Lords in which he conveyed his high esteem and knowledge of the Australian Constitution with reference to the crucially important role of the Crown.

 

As AML Chairman, Mr. Benwell has defended Australia’s system of constitutional monarchy, the person of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and our Royal Family.  As an Australian patriot and a genuine monarchist Mr. Benwell is determined that our system of government and law, devised by and for Australians, be preserved.  It is with this purpose in mind that the speaker has begun alerting the public to the dangers of ‘regionalization’ (sic). 

  

Under regionalization Australian states would eventually be abolished and replaced by regions.  The major beneficiaries of this fundamental change would be faction leaders of the major parties and minor parties whose votes are too low to win state parliamentary representation.  

 

Referendum questions which could be put at the time of the next election to recognize local government in the Constitution and voluntary interchange of federal and state powers would be the prerequisites of undertaking regionalization between 2011 and 2013.  Another acute danger is that of so-called ‘monarchists’ running a dud campaign on a plebiscite question of Australia becoming a republic so that they could re-position themselves as ‘conservative’ republicans and thereby assist with the formation of  regions between 2011 and 2013. 

 

The ill-effects of the intended ‘regionalization’ strategy may well be reflected by the proposed stimulus packages, which will take Australia overnight from having a $22 billion dollar surplus to a $22.5 billion dollar deficit!  An adverse consequence of such a shift would be to fatally undermine the fiscal viability of states so that new regions could be subsequently introduced.  The new regions could be financed by using superannuation funds and foreign loans which Australia would ultimately have difficulty servicing. 

 

 The 1890s Depression was the worst economic crisis which has confronted Australia .  Out of this crisis the leaders of the political leaders of the Australian colonies rose to the challenge by helping facilitate federation in 1901 and thereby establishing political structures which have since stood the test of time.

 

At this time of possibly profound crisis Australia should safeguard existing and successful socio-political structures of which viable Australian states and our constitutional monarchy are integral components.  Mr. Benwell, as Australia’s leading monarchist, is not only qualified to defend our system of constitutional monarchy but also to highlight potentially dangerous contemporary government policies, such as ‘regionalization’, which threaten Australia’s continued viability. 

 

Please RSVP to one of the contacts listed below by Wednesday the 18^th of March 2009.

 

(Contacts listed in alphabetical order): 

 

David Bennett         (03) 9898 3629

 

David Cowling         (03) 9584 6247

 

Klara Doroszlay         (03) 9889 6014

 

Jim Hewat                  (03) 9306 4318

 

Andrew Knopfelmacher (03) 9529 7341

 

Tom Rigg                  (03) 9366 6168

 

NB: Our Contact e-mail address is s.a.a.editor@gmail.com. Please do not hesitate to contact us!

Dear ……………………………….,

 

The Imminent Threat of ‘Regionalization’

 

 

Enclosed is a DVD of Mr. Philip Benwell’s speech entitled, ‘Crown and Federation’, which was given to the Bayside Monarchists Branch in Melbourne on Saturday the 4^th of October 2008.  Mr. Benwell is the National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League (AML).  The purpose of Bayside Monarchists is to promote unity of purpose among Australian monarchists and to warn of the dangers of Australia becoming a republic and of substantially changing the Australian constitution.  It is with this latter objective in mind that the DVD of Mr. Benwell’s talk has been sent to you.

 

 

The key issue which Mr. Benwell highlighted is that of so-called ‘regionalization’ undermining the Australian people’s sovereignty and future economic well-being.  This issue is one which is relevant to all Australians regardless of their stance concerning Australia’s continuance as a constitutional monarchy.  Mr. Benwell specifically warns of the danger of important powers of the states being transferred to local governments.

 

 

The major concern which Mr. Benwell raises is that of power going to faction leaders within the two major parties as a result of revenue and resources being transferred to future regional councils.  The effective undermining of the states (which receive 56% of their revenue from the GST) could enable party faction bosses to gain significantly enhanced revenue and patronage and subsequently lead to the ‘balkanization’ of Australian politics.  The National Party in the context of its declining vote has endorsed ‘regionalization’ on the basis that will increase its resource capacity.

 

 

Since Federation Australia has avoided the economic pitfalls of having a patrimonial approach to politics in which there is a nexus between political control and the distribution of resources.  In the wake of the current economic crisis it would be fundamentally detrimental to Australia’s economic well-being to now move toward such a paradigm.

 

 

The inaugural meeting of the Australian Council of Local Governments (ACLG) held on November 18^th 2008 and a National Constitutional Summit on Local Government held between the 8^th and 11^th of December 2008 were integral to moving Australia toward a patrimonial approach to politics. The organisers of these conferences earnestly asserted that their intention is to ‘fix’ Australia’s federation by supposedly empowering ‘the people’ at a local level.

 

 

However there can be no ‘people empowerment’ if Australia moves toward having a patrimonial approach to politics with the onset of ‘regionalization’.  Revelations concerning a proposed National Infrastructure Bank are reflective of the move toward a patrimonial paradigm. 

 

 

Such a bank would supposedly provide revenue to the states for infrastructure projects but the intended purpose is to financially underwrite future regions.  This proposed bank (which has shades of the 1975 Khemlani affair) would be financed by ‘petro’-dollars from the Gulf States and a scenario can be envisaged in which future regional governments would be incapable of re-paying their loans.

 

 

Australia became an independent nation in 1901 with the advent of federation.  The socio-political progress and stability which our nation has enjoyed has been derived from the balances and diversity that have come from having viable states.  State representatives at the ACLG conferences have an obligation to their constituents to maintain the integrity of their states regardless of their party allegiance. 

 

 

Indeed, self-seeking politicians may believe that they will be better positioned to bolster their power bases by gaining direct control of resources by supporting ‘regionalization’.  The short-term political gains which may be achieved will be off-set by resulting economic dislocation which could be fatal in the current economic environment.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Benwell is a staunch monarchist who is determined to retain Australia’s very successful system of constitutional monarchy.  However, his talk raises fundamental questions about Australia’s future direction which are relevant to all Australians regardless of their stance concerning the monarchy.  The current worldwide economic crisis was partially due to widespread ignorance regarding contemporary economic developments.  The perspective which Mr. Benwell advances in the enclosed DVD provides a timely warning of the need for the public to be vigilant as Australian politicians under the aegis of the ACLG undertake the most substantial constitutional ‘shake out’ in over one hundred years.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Mr. David Cowling

Chairman of Bayside Monarchists

 

The text of Mr. Benwell’s talk can be accessed on the Federal-States relations section of the Social Action Australia website http://www.socialactionaustralia.org/topics/federal-state-relations/

 

The Social Action Australia website can be accessed on http://www.socialactionaustralia.org/

 

The DVD has been prepared and distributed by volunteers concerned about Australia’s future.  It may be used for public screenings and/or copied for further distribution provided that there is no selectively unrepresentative editing.   

 

**Acknowledgement of receipt and your comments on the content of the DVD would be appreciated.  

 

NB: Our contact e-mail address is s.a.a.editor@gmail.com. Please do not hesitate to contact us!

You are cordially invited to the 2008 Historical and Current Affairs Analysis (HCAA) End of Year Dinner.  The topic will be: “What Winds of Change are coming to Australia”?  This will be the theme of the after dinner discussion which will be led by David Cowling and David Bennett.

 

The discussion leaders will canvas issues such as: future federal-state relations, future economic control bases and possible behind the scenes political manoeuvrings to facilitate socio-political change in Australia.  One purpose of HCAA is to analyse current affairs by reference to past events.  With this in mind the discussion leaders will advance the proposition that on federal-state relations the Whitlam and Howard governments were essentially continuums.  Both governments took steps to centralize federal power and intended to usurp the role of the states by eventually replacing them with regional councils. 

 

The 2008 HCAA End of Year Dinner will be held on Friday the 5^th of December at 7:30 pm at:

 

            The Golden Triangle Restaurant

            123 Park Street South Yarra

            (Corner of Park Street and Domain Road)

            Mel ways 2L CD2/D2

 

This function will be held in the restaurant’s function room.  Guests are welcome to arrive between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm and socialize before the function commences at 7:30 pm.  The cuisine, while of a high standard, is reasonably priced.  Patrons on the night will have the option of choosing from either a range of set menus or making a regular menu selection. 

 

The after dinner discussion will also include analysis of the potential political ramifications of the current economic crisis.  Scenarios to be discussed will include a possible transition to a patrimonial approach to economic policy formulation.  A patrimonial approach to economics, i.e. a nexus between political and economic control, may already be underway, e.g. proposals to use superannuation funds to underpin a new National Infrastructure Bank; the potential for a proposed National Infrastructure Bank to pork barrel public works and tinkering with prudential controls to facilitate a social credit approach to economic policy.  Arguably the current economic crisis stems from political interference by American administrations with regard to bank loans. 

 

There has been advocacy of the ‘need’ to ‘fix’ the Australian federation.  It should be noted however that Australia’s federation was facilitated by democratic and transparent processes.  In the current context there is an even greater need to ensure that federal-state reform does not become a means by which the special interests within the two parties collude to appropriate power for themselves.  ‘Reform’ of the federal system may lead to a substantial transference of power.  Therefore the danger of purported pro-states organizations being Trojan horses by which centralization is actually facilitated will be raised. 

 

Due to the current economic crisis the theme of the 2009 HCAA talks will be the potential socio-political impacts of the current economic crisis.

 

 

Bookings are essential so please RSVP to one of the contacts listed below by Wednesday the 3^rd of December 2008-

 

(Contacts listed in alphabetical order): 

 

David Bennett            (03) 9898 3629

David Cowling            (03) 9584 6247

Klara Doroszlay            (03) 9889 6014

Jim Hewat                        (03) 9306 4318

Andrew Knopfelmacher (03) 9529 7341

Tom Rigg                        (03) 9366 6168