Common Cause

Common Cause is an Alliance of four Commonwealth Republican Movements: the Australian Republican Movement (ARM); Citizens for a Canadian Republic (CCR); the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand; and Republic in the UK

Sharing a Commonwealth heritage, the four republican organisations joined forces in early 2005 to pursue their common cause... to bring about four new Commonwealth republics across the globe.

Our Cause

Common Cause is committed to the ideals of democracy and equality in our national constitutions. Member organisations are each working towards the replacement of their respective constitutional monarchies with republics based on the principles of democracy, accountability, transparency and merit.

Working Together

Common Cause provides a framework for the member organisations to share information, resources and ideas to bring about their common goal. Reflecting their distinctive political and constitutional circumstances, each of the organisations will retain their autonomous national campaigns.

Guiding principles

• Friendship: the Common Cause alliance is recognition that all four countries have ongoing political, social, economic and cultural histories that bind each country to the other. These formal ties are reinforced by personal and family friendships between the four countries.
• Equality: Each member organization of Common Cause is an equal member regardless of its size or history.
• Co-operation: Common Cause is a commitment to discussion and mutual assistance. It is a shared willingness to talk through any differences and disagreements in order to continue the working relationship and further the aims of the agreement.
• Democracy: Each member organisation will maintain a commitment to openness and democracy within their internal structures and procedures and in all matters concerning the Agreement.

While currently limited to republican organisations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Common Cause is open to any republican movement within the Commonwealth sharing its aims.