Fighting For The Republic

Malcolm Turnbull was at the centre of the republican debate from the launch of the Australian Republican Movement in 1991 to Referendum day on 6 November 1999. He advised Paul Keating, negotiated with John Howard and had his first encounters with Tony Abbott. Win or lose, Turnbull was the driving force for an Australian republic, and the lightning rod for its enemies. It was in many ways the political origins of Australia’s 29th Prime Minister. In this extraordinarily frank memoir, originally released in 1999, Turnbull gives the ultimate insider’s account of the republican debate. He reveals the plays and strategies behind the Referendum and Constitutional Convention and exposes a world of egotists and idealists, many of whom are still prominent players on the Australian stage.