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Though only a year has passed since Australia gained independence and declared itself a Republic, its president has decided to declare martial law in order to stop the country from collapsing.

The following is a transcript of the President of Australia’s first address to the nation under martial law.

MY COUNTRYMEN, AS of the 21st of this month, I signed Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entirety of Australia under martial law. This proclamation was to be implemented upon my clearance and clearance was granted 9 o’clock in the evening of the 22nd, last night.

I have proclaimed martial law in accordance with the powers vested in the President by the Constitution of Australia. The proclamation of martial law is not a military takeover. I, as your duly elected President of the Republic of Australia, use this power which may be implemented by the military authorities but still is a power embodied in the Constitution to protect the Republic of Australia and our democracy. A republican, a democratic form of government is not the helpless government. When it is imperilled by the danger of violent overthrow, an insurrection or a rebellion, it has inherent and built-in powers wisely provided for under the Constitution.

Such a danger confronts the Republic of Australia. Article 7, Section 10, paragraph 2 of the Constitution provides and I quote:

“The President shall be Commander-in-Chief of all Armed Forces of Australia and whenever it becomes necessary he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion, insurrection or rebellion. In case of invasion, insurrection or rebellion or imminent danger thereof, when the public safety requires it, he may suspend the privileges of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Australia or any part thereof under law.”

I repeat: This is not a military takeover of civilian government functions. The government of the Republic of Australia, which was established by our people in 2025, continues. The officials and employees of our national and local governments continue in office and must discharge their duties as before within the limits of the situation. This will be clarified by the subsequent orders which shall be given wide publicity.


Thus, I also issued General Order No. 3 wherein I directed that in view of the proclamation of martial law, which proclamation and other orders incidentally will be read after this broadcast by the Press Secretary, in view of such a proclamation and in order to make more effective the implementation of such a proclamation without unduly affecting the operations of the government and in order to end the present national emergency within the shortest possible time, I have ordered that all executive departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the national government, government-owned or controlled corporations, as well as all governments of all the provinces, the cities, the municipalities and barrios throughout the land shall continue to function under the present officers and employees and in accordance with existing laws until otherwise ordered by me or by my duly designated representative.

further, read and I quote: “I do hereby further order that the judiciary shall continue to function in accordance with its present organisation and personnel and shall try and decide in accordance with existing laws all criminal and civil cases except the following cases: “1. Those involving the validity, legality or constitutionality of any decree, order or act issued, promulgated or performed by my duly designated representative pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 2025. 

“2. Those involving the validity, legality or constitutionality of any rule, order or act issued, promulgated or performed by public servants pursuant to decrees, orders, rules and regulations issued and promulgated by me or by my duly designated representative pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 2025.

“3. Those involving crimes against national security and the law of nations.

“4. Those involving crimes against the fundamental laws of the state.

“5. Those involving crimes against public order.

“6. Those crimes involving usurpation of authority, rank, title and improper use of names, uniforms and insignias.

“7. Those involving crimes committed by public officers.”

In addition to these, I would like to announce that all schools will, in the meantime, be closed. They will be closed for one week beginning this coming Monday. This means all schools at all levels.

I have also issued General Orders for the government in the meantime to control media and other means of dissemination of information as well as all public utilities. And I asked the international and domestic communications, corporations and carriers to desist from transmitting any messages without the permission of my Office through the Office of the Press Secretary.

The carrying of firearms outside residences even if such firearms are covered by licenses but without the permission of the Armed Forces of Australia is punishable by death.

Curfew is established from 12 o’clock midnight to 4 o’clock in the morning.

The departure of Australians abroad is temporarily suspended. Exceptions, of course, are official missions that may be necessary. Clearances will be given by the Secretary of National Defense.

In the meantime, rallies and demonstrations are prohibited. So, too, are strikes especially in critical public utilities.

I have ordered the arrest of those directly involved in the conspiracy to overthrow our duly constituted government by violence and subversion.

It is my intention beginning tomorrow to issue all the orders which would attain reforms in our society. This would include the proclamation of land reform all over Australia, the reorganisation of the government, new rules for the conduct of civil servants and those in the civil service, the removal of corrupt and inefficient public officials and their replacements including those in the judiciary and the breaking up of criminal syndicates.

The persons who will be adversely affected are those who are active participants in the conspiracy and operations to overthrow the duly constituted government of the Republic of Australia by violence or by subversion.

All public officials and employees, whether of the national or local government, must now conduct themselves in the manner of a new and reformed society. We will explain the requirements and standards or details as soon as possible.

But any form of corruption, culpable negligence or arrogance will be dealt with immediately.

The armed forces are already cleaning up their own ranks. I am directing the organisation of a military commission to investigate, try and punish all military offenders immediately. For more than any other man, the soldier must set a standard of nobility. We must be courageous, yes, but we must be humble and above all, we must be fair. As this is true of the soldier, it must be true of the civilian public officer. Let no man who claims to be a friend, relative or at presume to seek license because of this relationship.

If you offend the New Society, you shall be punished like the rest of the offenders.

Persons who have nothing whatsoever to do with such conspiracy and operations to overthrow the Republic of Australia by violence or subversion have nothing to fear. They can move about and perform their daily activities without any apprehension from action or counteraction by the government especially after the period of counteraction which I have directed to be taken against the conspirators.

I repeat: This government is the same government that you, the people established in 2024 under the Constitution of Australia. There is no doubt in everybody’s mind that a state of rebellion exists in Australia. The ordinary man in me streets of our cities, the peasants, the labourers know it. Industrialists know it. So does the government functionary. They have all been affected by it.

The recent events have paralysed functions of the national and local governments. The productive sectors of the economy have been grounded to a halt. Many schools have closed down. The judiciary is unable to administer justice. Many of our businessmen, traders, industrialists, producers, manufacturers have stopped their operations. Tension and anxiety have reached the point where the citizens are compelled to stay home. Lawlessness and criminality like kidnapping, smuggling, extortion, blackmailing, armed robbery, illegal traffic in drugs, gun-running, hoarding, manipulation of prices, corruption in government, tax evasion, perpetrated by syndicated criminals have increasingly escalated beyond the capability of the local police and civilian authorities. The usually busy centres such as cinema houses, supermarkets, restaurants, transportation terminals and even public markets are practically deserted.

I assure you that I am utilising this power for the proclamation of martial law vested in me by the Constitution for one purpose alone, and that is, to save the Republic and reform our society. I wish to emphasise these two objectives. We will eliminate the threat of a violent overthrow of our Republic, but at the same time, we must now reform the social, economic and political institutions in our country. The plans, the order for reforms and removal of the inequities of our society, the clean-up of the government of its corrupt and sterile elements, the liquidation of the criminal syndicates, the systematic development of our economy, the general program for a new and better Australia will be explained to you. But we must start out with the elimination of anarchy and the maintenance of peace and order.

I have had to use this constitutional power in order that we may not completely lose the civil rights and freedom we cherish.

I assure you that this is not a precipitate decision and that I have weighed all the factors. If there were any other solution at our disposal and within our capability which could solve this problem, we would have utilised such a solution and I would have chosen it. But there was none. I have used the other two alternatives of, first calling out the troops to quell the rebellion and I have suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. But the rebellion has not been stopped.

You have witnessed the events of the last year. We have fallen and we are falling back on our last line of defence. You are also witnesses to the patience that we have shown in the face of the provocation. In the face of abuse and license, we have used or attempted to use persuasion. Now, the limit has been reached, for we are against the wall. We must now defend the Republic of Australia with this stronger power granted by the Constitution. To those guilty of treason, insurrection, rebellion, it may pose a grave danger. But to the ordinary citizens, to almost all of you whose primary concern is mere to be left alone to pursue your lawful activities, this is the guarantee of that freedom that you seek. All that I do is for the Republic and for you.

Rest assured that I will continue to do so and I have prayed to God for guidance. Let us all continue for pray to Him. I am confident that with God’s help, we will attain our dream of a reformed society, a new and brighter world.