It’s turned nasty in royalist-land, with the vicious, undemocratic, ACM now ghoulishly plotting to launch a hostile takeover of other monarchist group – the benignly democratic AML – once the latters chair dies....so they can then close it down! Independent Australia's senior correspondent, Barry Everingham, holds his nose and reports.
Australia’s premier Monarchist group, The Australian Monarchist League is being subjected to a poisonous and anonymous attack from Professor David Flint’s Australians for Constitution Monarchy supporters.
The two groups are at loggerheads over the vexed question of just WHO is our head of state.
(This is something we have covered at length on IA through Lewis Holden’s continuing series on Stephen Spadijer’s book on this same subject. Answer: The Queen…of course!)
Buckingham Palace correctly names the Queen as our head of state and the League, a totally loyal group of Australians with no agenda other than seeing Australia remain a constitutional monarchy, naturally agrees with the Palace.
Flint and his “supporters” – there are no members of ACM – continue with the blatant lie that the Governor General is the head of state and the Queen is only the country’s sovereign.
While the Australian Monarchist League works tirelessly promoting the Crown, ACM never ceases to promote David Flint — who has hijacked ACM’s website, filling it with puerile claptrap about kings and queens who have lost their crowns and their, in the main, feckless descendants, whose behaviour has reduced them to café society levels.
Flint’s Facebook page has, in the past few days, launched a bitter and feline attack on Phillip Benwell and AML under the pseudonym of WG Grace. [Read the discussion below this piece.]
Since IA started making enquiries, “WG Grace’s” comments have been removed — though they did remain on the site for at least 9 hours, as you can see below. In any case, it’s typical of Flint to take the leaf out of Andrew Bolt’s book and allows anonymous and poisonous comment to shore up his dubious claptrap.
(By the way, Bolt is furious the ABC and the Fairfax media have left alleged details Peter Roebuck’s private life alone, so this sanctimonious racist has had a go.)
Some of the “supporters” of ACM have been in touch with me complaining that Flint is splitting monarchist supporters down the middle.
The ACM’s ridiculous notion of a “crowned republic” doesn’t cut it with the more sober followers —and many ask what Flint’s agenda really is.
Wrote one to me:
“It’s madness for a monarchist group to push the idea that the Queen is not Australia’s head of state. Flint should really be pushing for a republic if this is how he feels.”
Now, “WG Grace” is urging ACM supporters to wait for the chair of the AML, Phillip Benwell, to die so the ACM can organise a branch stack and pass a resolution that the AML unwinds.
“WG Grace” is a real piece of work — just like Flint.
He continues:
“I’m sure attempts to bring the AML back would ultimately founder, especially if we drain the coffers!
“I’m sure ACM could get some members to join en masse and overwhelm Benwell supporters at a special meeting of this branch and wind up the show and donate any surplus funds to ACM; this could be repeated elsewhere.
“It would be confrontational, bitter and bloody but we appear to have plenty of time to do it and for all to be forgotten debate is brought to head once more.
“That’s the weakness of the AML — it is controlled by its members. So this soft underbelly is where to attack.”
This is someone from the Flint controlled ACM, anonymously attacking and ghoulishly plotting against other monarchists to destroy their group once one of their senior members dies.
I’m here to assure readers and members of the AML and supporters of ACM that IA won’t forget this — and nor should anyone concerned about democracy is this country.
David Flint is an absolute disgrace for allowing this venomous diatribe to sit for so long on the ACM Facebook page.
Extract from the disgusting ACM discussion
WG Grace The Australian Monarchist League gets more coverage that it demands as the very small group of people that it is.
9 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[Name deleted] “A” The Australian Monarchist League works very hard promoting the Crown. Why on earth would you have a problem with that? As far as I know it has the largest true membership of any monarchist group in Australia. The bottom line is the things it gets done, for example getting The Orange city council to hold an event for the Queen's Diamond Jublee and many other things AML has done over the years, surely if you support the monarchy this is a good thing?
9 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace In saying that I'm just going off the results of the election for the Constitutional Convention in 1998. The league didn't get enough votes to get in on the offiical No committee; pretty sad.
There should be a merger in the medium term. I propose the new entity be called "Australians for Constitutional Monarchy".
After Benwell dies ACM could organise a branch stack and pass a resolution that the league unwinds. I'm sure attempts to bring the league back would ultimately founder. Especially if we drained the coffers.
P.S. Does [“A”] still think the practice of individuals flying the national flag privately in their front yards is strange?
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace Take Tristan Rogers for example. He was "elected" unopposed at a poorly attended AGM according to reports. I'm sure ACM could get some members to join en masse and overwhelm Benwell supporters at a special meeting of this branch and wind up the show and donate any surplus funds to ACM; this could be repeated elsewhere. It would be confrontational, bitter and bloody but we appear to have plenty of time to do it and for it all to be forgotten before the republic debate is brought to a head once more. That's the weakness of the league - it is controlled by its members. So this soft underbelly is where to attack.
I've heard other people in the wider movement discuss the advantages of a single front.
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] Why were my last two post removed?
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1
WG Grace As for the timing, I say start going now with the ACM takeover. Younger people aren't as prone to joining organisations of any description by all reports. Attack now while there are large numbers of ACM supporters.
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace ACM would have to let the contact details of its members fall into the hands of some outsider who would do the work.
I wonder who that should be?
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] Again I had a post removed. I wonder why....?
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike ·
WG Grace You're a turncoat?
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] WG Grace, You’re entitled to your own views, spiteful though they be, But I remain loyal to our Sovereign Head of State The Queen, in what way is that a turncoat? Please try and control yourself.
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace I refer to the journey you've gone on as a monarchist.
What happened to your alleigance to the ACM?
5 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace Is the Queen the head of state now?
5 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] Firstly when on Earth did I or anyone make an oath of allegiance to ACM? Monarchist groups are simply a means by which one shows loyalty to the Queen. As for the Head of State issue have you read Steven Spadijer’s book on the Head of State issue?
5 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace I don't know becomming a supporter of ACM requires an oath. But [“A”] wasn't the ACM logo on your wedding cake?
I haven't read the book but I've read about it.
5 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace Im going to obtain a picture of your wedding cake next.
5 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] Are you a stalker?
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace ["A"] you're a well known mate.
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace The man who thinks flying the national flag in your frontyard is strange.
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] WG Grace, does ACM endorse the types of things you are saying here? Do they endorse the way you talk about "waiting for Philip Benwell to die"? Do they endorse your saying about taking over AML and AML's "soft underbelly"?
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace I don't know they are as a vocal as I am. I'm sure I read one time some AML members did get a mail out from ACM letting them know how to become a supporter.
If upon Benwell's death doesn't strike you as an opportune time to merge it does me.
2 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] One has to wonder about someone who hides behind a non-de-plume to post views such as "WG Grace" does here.
2 hours ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace And the fact of the matter is ACM set itself up so it doesn't even really have members the same way the league does. The founders must have been wise to what I'm saying could happen.
2 hours ago · LikeUnlike
[Name deleted] “B” Divide and rule. Yes!!
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike
WG Grace The offical No committee managed to do just that in 1999 - they won over a lot of republicans - without any input from the AML.
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] Well I suppose ACM has this in common with republicans - they both do not want the Queen as Head of State:)
30 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
[Name deleted] “C” What about unite and lead [“B”]?
17 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
[“A”] Hi [“C”]?, My question is who is this person who hides behind this "WG Grace" name? Why do their very rude and aggressive post not get removed by ACM's moderator? And why do they hate AML?
8 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
