Editing Order of Australia (section)

=== Re-establishment and abolition of Knights and Dames ===
[[File:The Prince of Wales in Brisbane, 1983.jpg|thumb|right|upright|King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) wearing the insignia of a Knight of the Order of Australia, 1983]][[File:Coat of Arms of Ninian Martin Stephen.svg|thumb|The neck badge of a Knight of the Order of Australia appeared at the base of the coat of arms of [[Ninian Stephen|Sir Ninian Stephen]].]]

On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister [[Tony Abbott]] advised the Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014G00635/ |title=Letters Patent amending the Constitution of the Order of Australia |website=Government Notices Gazette C2014G00635 |date=17 April 2014 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=20 January 2017 |archive-date=2 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102053616/https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014G00635 |url-status=live }}</ref> Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Monarch of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council.<ref name="SMH2014">{{cite web |title=Knights, dames return under Abbott |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325113330/http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/knights-dames-return-under-abbott-20140325-35fy0.html|archive-date=25 March 2014|date= 25 March 2014 |access-date= 25 March 2014 |newspaper= The Sydney Morning Herald  |url= http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/knights-and-dames-back-in-australia-20140325-35fy0.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= A new honour for pre-eminent Australians |work= Media release |publisher= Office of the Prime Minister of Australia |date= 25 March 2014 |url= http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-03-25/new-honour-pre-eminent-australians |access-date= 25 March 2014 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140325130621/http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-03-25/new-honour-pre-eminent-australians |archive-date= 25 March 2014 }}</ref>

Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to the outgoing [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]], [[Quentin Bryce]]; her successor, [[Peter Cosgrove]]; a recent [[Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)|chief of the Defence Force]], [[Angus Houston]]; a recent [[governor of New South Wales]], [[Marie Bashir]]; and [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip]]. This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media.<ref>{{cite news|last=Safi|first=Michael|date=3 February 2015|title=How giving Prince Philip a knighthood left Australia's PM fighting for survival|language=en-GB|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/03/how-giving-prince-philip-a-knighthood-left-australias-pm-fighting-for-survival|access-date=28 February 2021|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103010618/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/03/how-giving-prince-philip-a-knighthood-left-australias-pm-fighting-for-survival|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-01-27 |title=Australian media scorn Prince Philip 'Knightmare' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-30996110 |access-date=2024-07-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of the award to Prince Philip in a [[ReachTEL]] poll.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beaumont |first=Adrian |date=2015-01-28 |title=Abbott's Ratings Slump Following "Knightmare" Affair |url=http://theconversation.com/abbotts-ratings-slump-following-knightmare-affair-36840 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Australian Labor Party]] continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition [[Bill Shorten]] stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election.<ref>{{cite news|last=Knott|first=Matthew|title=Bill Shorten would reverse reinstatement of knights and dames if elected prime minister|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bill-shorten-would-reverse-reinstatement-of-knights-and-dames-if-elected-prime-minister-20140328-35mtn.html|access-date=3 August 2014|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=28 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605115335/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bill-shorten-would-reverse-reinstatement-of-knights-and-dames-if-elected-prime-minister-20140328-35mtn.html|archive-date=5 June 2014}}</ref>

The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grattan |first=Michelle |date=2015-02-07 |title=Explainer: why is Australian prime minister Tony Abbott facing a leadership crisis? |url=http://theconversation.com/explainer-why-is-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbott-facing-a-leadership-crisis-37323 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=[[ABC News (Australia)]] |date=2024-01-29 |title=When Tony Abbott Gave Prince Philip a Knighthood |url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2rJ_fFPSQ5/ |access-date= |website=Instagram |series=[[Nemesis (Australian TV series)|Nemesis]]}}</ref> with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in a challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's [[letters patent]] and cease awards at this level.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/knights-and-dames-to-be-scrapped/6904474 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418043230/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/knights-and-dames-to-be-scrapped/6904474|archive-date=18 April 2016|title=Knights and dames scrapped from Order of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull says |publisher=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=Australia |last1=Norman|first1= Jane |last2=Iggulden|first2= Tom |date=2 November 2015 |access-date=2 November 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/nov/02/knights-and-dames-removed-from-order-of-australia-by-malcolm-turnbull|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305044211/http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/nov/02/knights-and-dames-removed-from-order-of-australia-by-malcolm-turnbull|archive-date=5 March 2016 |title=Knights and dames removed from Order of Australia by Malcolm Turnbull |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=Australia |last=Medhora|first=Shalailah  |date=2 November 2015 |access-date=2 November 2015 }}</ref> Existing titles would not be affected.<ref name=SMH2015>{{cite news|title=Malcolm Turnbull scraps Tony Abbott's Knights and Dames|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-scraps-tony-abbotts-knights-and-dames-20151101-gkodek.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107004242/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-scraps-tony-abbotts-knights-and-dames-20151101-gkodek.html|archive-date=7 January 2016|first=Latika|last=Bourke|author-link=Latika Bourke|date=2 November 2015|access-date=2 November 2015}}</ref> The move was attacked by monarchists<ref>{{cite news|title=Malcolm Turnbull's 1999 referendum loss behind dumping knights and dames: David Flint|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbulls-1999-referendum-loss-behind-dumping-knights-and-dames-david-flint-20151102-gkofvb.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2 November 2015|access-date=2 November 2015|archive-date=10 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110051249/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbulls-1999-referendum-loss-behind-dumping-knights-and-dames-david-flint-20151102-gkofvb.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and praised by republicans.<ref>{{cite news|last=FitzSimons|first=Peter|title=By scrapping knights and dames, the Age of Turnbull has returned us to 2015|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/by-scrapping-knights-and-dames-the-age-of-turnbull-has-returned-us-to-2015-20151102-gkok7j.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105020024/http://www.smh.com.au/comment/by-scrapping-knights-and-dames-the-age-of-turnbull-has-returned-us-to-2015-20151102-gkok7j.html#ixzz3qIi2uO8G|archive-date=5 November 2015|date=2 November 2015|access-date=2 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Malcolm Turnbull clears the royal barnacle and starts a debate Tony Abbott never could have|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/malcolm-turnbull-clears-the-royal-barnacle-and-starts-a-debate-tony-abbott-never-could-have-20151102-gkohlb.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|first=Mark|last=Kenny|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105013050/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/malcolm-turnbull-clears-the-royal-barnacle-and-starts-a-debate-tony-abbott-never-could-have-20151102-gkohlb.html#ixzz3qIg68SQ8|archive-date=5 November 2015|date=2 November 2015|access-date=2 November 2015}}</ref> The amendments to the constitution of the Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015.<ref name=kdgazette>[https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2015G02163 Amendments to the Constitution of the Order of Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102074357/https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2015G02163/ |date=2 November 2021 }}, ''[[Commonwealth of Australia Gazette]]'' C2015G02163, 22 December 2015.</ref>