Charlton Robards

The Rt. Hon Charlton Robards OG
17th President of Georgeland
In office 11 Sep 2017 - 13 Jun 2024
Preceded by	Eileen Purves
Succeeded by	Linda Nguyen (acting)
Mayor of Santa Christina
In office 21 Jul 2012 - 11 Sep 2017
Preceded by	Jim Smalls
Succeeded by	Ellen Yap
Georgeland Ambassador to the United Nations
In office 30 Jan 2006 - 4 Jul 2007
Preceded by	Wendy Parkhurst
Succeeded by	Stephen Kenney
Prime Minister of Georgeland
In office 14 Aug 2002 - 13 Jul 2005
Preceded by	Michael Elderton
Succeeded by	Zoe Parker
In office 21 Jun 1999 - 1 Jul 2001
Preceded by	Michael Fisch
Succeeded by	Michael Elderton
In office 20 Oct 1995 - 13 May 1999
Preceded by	Eric Edge
Succeeded by	Michael Fisch
Personal details
Political party	Labour (1991-1999) Liberal (1999-2004) Liberal Democratic (2004-2019) Independent (2019-)
Spouse(s)	Deborah Robards (m. 2003) Wendy Chamberlain (de facto 1990-98)
Alma mater	University of Santa Christina

The Rt Hon. Charlton Philip Robards OG (b. June 30, 1963) is a Georgeland politician, journalist, diplomat and academic who served as the 17th President of Georgeland from 2017 to 2024. Robards was also Prime Minister of Georgeland from 1995 to 2000 (with a brief interruption) and 2001 to 2005. He is the only person to have been both head of state and of government in Georgeland. In addition to his federal offices, Robards served as Mayor of Santa Christina from 2012 to 2017, and was the first former prime minister to serve in a mayoral position. He has also served as Georgeland Ambassador to the United Nations.

Taking office aged 32 years and 3 months, Robards was the youngest Prime Minister in Georgeland's history. He was also the first to be unmarried, the first avowed atheist, the first to be Prime Minister three times and the first to represent more than one political party, having been a member of three during his time in office.

A journalist and student activist before coming to politics, Robards has at times been a controversial figure, with opponents criticizing him for perceived cronyism and an overly aggressive, partisan approach, especially during his presidency. Supporters, however, have credited Robards with major economic and social achievements throughout his political life. His opposition to the Iraq War and progressive social stances have led an international reputation as a leader of the global left.

Robards’ wife Deborah Robards was herself Prime Minister of Georgeland from 2015 to 2019.

On 13 June 2024, Robards became the first president to be removed from office due to unconstitutional use of reserve powers in expelling the Israeli Ambassador during the Gaza War.

Early Life

Robards was born on June 30, 1963, in Birmingham General Hospital, Birmingham, Mainland, the first of two children. Birmingham, an outer suburb of Santa Christina, Georgeland’s second-largest city, is now an upper class, wealthy area, but at the time was a firmly lower-middle class area, populated with blue-collar workers. His parents are Michael Robards (1932-2020), an English migrant who was employed as a clerk in the local government office, and Janice Hopkins (1936-), a second-generation Georgelander of English/Irish parentage. He has one sister, Catherine Fossey. Neither parent was deeply religious. For the first forty-four years of his life, Robards believed that he had never been baptised and that his father was a Methodist by birth. However, in February 2007, family records were uncovered by the Robards family revealing that, in fact, Robards' father was actually baptised as High Anglican, and that subsequently he himself is also baptised High Anglican. It was revealed that the baptism was carried out at the instigation of Robards' paternal grandmother, Christine Guy, and that his father never knew about the baptism.

Robards grew up in and around Santa Christina, leaving his Birmingham home in 1975 for an inner-city apartment to fit in with his father’s new job. After seven years in Birmingham Primary School, Robards entered High School in 1975, attending Weston High, which was a well-funded government school, located in a wealthy area. Robards’ parents were tireless advocates of public education, a commitment Robards continued into his adult years and his government administration. Robards flirted with politics from an early age, running unsuccessfully for his High School council in 1978 and successfully in 1979. As School Councillor, Robards earned the wrath of the school’s teaching staff when he organised a boycott of the school’s canteen until service and quality improved. Faced with ever-dwindling profits, the canteen and the school relented.

Following his graduation from Weston in 1980, Robards enrolled and was accepted into the University of Santa Christina on a scholarship. He studied journalism, a four-year course. During this period, he worked as a ‘gopher’ in the office of an outer-Santa Christina paper, the Globe Weekly, which introduced him to the world of professional journalism.Through university, Robards continued his political pursuits. Although initially defeated, he was elected to the University Student Council in 1982, and in 1983 he was President of the Student Council. He pursued a parallel line with the administration, working for mutual co-operation rather than the adversarial relationship characteristic of previous administrations. Although elected President on his own ticket, the next year he was introduced to his local Labour MP and persuaded to join the Labour Party.

Robards’ academic record was not overly distinguished, earning a Merit average. He graduated U.S.C. in 1984 after a second term as President with a Bachelor of Journalism with minors in political science and communications theory.

Journalism career

According to Robards’ memoirs, armed with his degree and a working knowledge of the world of professional journalism, the 21-year old Robards marched into the office of the editor of the Globe Weekly, Simon Pratt, and demanded a paid job as a junior staff journalist. The editor was impressed by the audacity the young man showed and offered him a cadetship. This version of events was challenged in 2013 by Pratt himself, who claimed Robards had been offered the cadetship before graduating. Pratt died in 2018, and Robards has consistently maintained his interpretation.

In 1986 Robards began writing full time for the paper, but in very early 1987 Robards was hired by the Santa Christina Herald as a junior correspondent, suspending his Labour membership for the position. Initially working as an interviewer and covering football and community affairs, Robards was assigned to the Topstad desk for the paper in July 1988 at the age of 25. After filling in for main correspondent Peter Baddeley during the latter’s illness in late 1988, Robards increasingly appeared on television and became a well-known commentator and political analyst despite his youth.

With the retirement of Ken Leech as the Herald’s Editor-in-Chief in August 1990, the Herald’s board appointed a triumvirate to replace him. Wally Lambert, the former Deputy Editor, was made Senior Copy Editor and Margaret Staples as Production Editor. Robards, the youngest of the three by a decade, was appointed as Commissioning Editor. Robards’ appointment is said to have been through his friendship with Leech, who had known Robards’ mother. Robards was the youngest member of the paper’s management. Despite being the most junior of the three editors, Robards was sometimes erroneously called the paper’s editor, a title he himself has used multiple times. Day-to-day operations of the paper were under Lamber’s purview while Robards concentrated on political analysis and commissioning of columns, though it is true Robards increasingly took on more responsibilities over time. Robards has been called the youngest person to edit a major metropolitan paper, depending on the definition of editor.

The pressures of editing a newspaper took their toll on Robards. He became subject to anxiety attacks and stress-related health problems, and so resigned his position in mid-1991. In 2021 Robards claimed this was when he began to develop habitual cannabis use, although his usage waned until his 50s.

About the same time, his old friend Simon McGill an MP in the federal government of Noel Quarton, persuaded Robards to run for public office. Robards agreed to run for his local council as an Independent but when the Labour Party offered to reinstate his membership if he agreed to run for the House of Commons, he agreed.

The 1991 election saw the re-election of Prime Minister Quarton’s Labour/Democratic coalition government. Robards, at 28, was elected to the seat of Santa Christina, representing the city's central business district. Unlike journalism, where he had to be carefully impartial, Robards enjoyed the opportunities to let his views be known in Parliament. In his maiden speech, he condemned the right wing cause and championed public education, healthcare and social welfare.

Early political career

According to contemporaries, Robards was close to Quarton from the very beginning, having developed a rapport with him as a journalist. The two men shared similar interests and politics, though Robards was somewhat more radical on issues such as taxation and industrial matters. In 1992, just eight months after entering Parliament, Robards was appointed Quarton’s Parliamentary Private Secretary. Robards was reported to be Quarton’s ‘enforcer’ and a key adviser, alienating older and more veteran members who considered Robards’ position impertinent. In both mens’ memoirs they describe their relationship akin to the protégé and mentor.

In July 1994, following the resignation of Douglas Westerman due to a bribery scandal, Quarton nominated Robards as his replacement in Cabinet as Minister for Health. Labour ministers were elected by the party’s caucus, although this was merely a formality since almost all positions were filled by factional leaders. On this occasion, rebel backbenchers forced a vote of Labour members and senators to admit Robards to the ministry, which Robards won by 68 votes to 52. Had he lost, Quarton may have faced a leadership challenge. Robards, at 31, remains the youngest Georgelander to have been a cabinet minister.

Seven months later, Quarton declared a general election. The result was a surprise defeat, with the Conservatives under Eric Edge winning a majority of two seats. Quarton vowed to stay on and was re-elected leader, with Jim King remaining deputy. Robards, content with his position, remained as the Opposition Health spokesman. However, only two months later, Quarton suffered a heart attack. Although mild and non-lethal, Quarton, aged 59, decided to retire. At the time, it was reported Quarton had declared Robards his preferred successor. The veracity of this claim remains disputed - Robards himself has said he thought Quarton implied it without saying it, while others, including King and Treasurer Michael Cherry have said Quarton never mentioned it and would never have interfered in such a blatant manner with a caucus vote.

Robards nonetheless nominated for leader, standing against King and Lance Williams. With King initially the front-runner, Robards and Williams struck an alliance to prevent King, whom they saw as too conservative, from winning. At one stage, a joint ticket was proposed with Williams as leader and Robards deputy, but this had little support from the party’s right-wing. When Williams ultimately withdrew from the contest due to reports about his wife’s business arrangements, the Left faction supported Robards, who was elected Leader by 58 votes to 50. King remained Deputy Leader and took on the position of Shadow Treasurer.

Opposition Leader

The government of Eric Edge elected in February 1995 suffered from the lack of a Senate majority and dwindling support. A series of financial scandals in the government’s first three months caused the resignation of several cabinet members, and Edge’s first and only budget, which among other measures included a massive tax reduction for higher incomes and the stripping of retirement entitlements, as well as cuts to the National Health Service, was poorly received. When the Democratic Party won the Zigit by-election in August, the government’s House of Commons majority was reduced to one. The Small Business (Industrial Action) Bill, which would have curtailed the right to strike among small business employees, was defeated in the Senate in June and again in September, creating the trigger for a full dissolution. While Georgeland’s constitution stipulates there must be at least eight months between elections, the President can refuse to grant one before fifteen months have elapsed since the last one. Edge therefore waited a short time before asking president Donald Davis for a full dissolution election exactly eight months after the last one, the shortest period possible and in history between general elections.

Robards and Labour campaigned on the Tory government’s competence and scandals, and on the unpopularity of the budget, which Robards claimed was ‘only the beginning’. The Conservatives attempted to paint Robards as too young and radical to be prime minister. At the election, Labour won 107 seats and the Democrats 32, giving the coalition a majority of fifteen. Robards was sworn in as prime minister on 11 October 1995.

Prime Minister (1995-99)

Sworn in as prime minister aged 32, Robards was, and remains, the youngest prime minister in the country’s history. At the time, he was the youngest head of government in the world. The first Robards Cabinet was similar in composition to the previous Labour government - key ministers including King, Cherry and Leonard Hand retained their portfolios; King was appointed Finance Minister rather than Treasurer, provoking further animosity.

Domestic policy

Robards’ first term was mainly spent undoing much of what he saw as 'damage' due to Edge’s eight-month administration. The short-lived National Business Council, a body made up to advise the government on business issues, was abolished, tax cuts cancelled and a new budget issued increasing public spending. Two department heads were expelled for corruption, and a Special Commission on Civil Service Integrity was set up to examine corrupt conduct by senior civil servants.

Having campaigned on the issue, the Robards government sought, throughout 1996, standardisation of abortion legislation nationwide. Under existing arrangements, abortion was considered the purview of the states, with two, Delmago Island and Scoita, outright banning the practice (with some exemptions) and another, Bradmarch, allowing it with significant legal hurdles. Only in the Federal District and Long Island was abortion unrestricted within the first trimester. The Robards government, having failed in negotiations with state leaders, declared it would use the constitution’s clause on ‘births, deaths and marriages’ to institute nationwide abortion laws. The relevant legislation comprised three acts - the Medical Practices (Terminations) Act, the National Health Service (Provision of Terminations) Act, and the Medical Licencing (Guidelines) Act. All three laws were passed by the Senate on 26 September 1996, and immediately challenged in the Supreme Court by opponents, with the largest opposition coming from Scoitan Chief Minister John Sutherland, a Conservative whose Labour predecessor, Bill Evans, had also been staunchly opposed. On February 4, the Supreme Court ruled in UIG v Scoita that the births, deaths and marriages power did apply to abortion laws. From 1 July 1997, abortion became legal in every Georgeland state, though it continued to be resisted by some state based medical authorities.

Further reforms came in 1998 with the passage of the Pensions and Welfare (Index Linking) and National Infrastructure Acts, which linked pension and welfare payments at different tiers together, and created a new national framework for road construction, railways, and standardised port processes.

Foreign policy

In January 1996, Robards made his first visit abroad as leader to the United States and Canada. In Washington he met with U.S. President Bill Clinton, and established a friendship and working relationship that lasted until the end of Clinton’s term in 2001.

In mid-1996, Robards described the impending handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China as “unfortunate”, sparking an official rebuke from Chinese officials.

At the 1997 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Robards impressed Commonwealth leaders with his persuasiveness, informal style, and knowledge of the issues. In an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, he formally invited the queen to Georgeland. When she toured later that year, she became the first British monarch to visit Georgeland since 1924. Robards, a strong supporter of the Commonwealth until his later career, advocated for Zimbabwe’s expulsion from the organisation on human rights grounds.

Robards, in contrast with recent predecessors, made relationships and trade with African nations a foreign policy priority. In March 1998 he became the first Georgeland leader to visit Africa since the 1970s. In Lusaka, he made a speech in which he pledged to join the war on AIDS. True to his word, parliament donated two billion dollars in May to the Red Cross in order to battle the AIDS outbreak in Africa. The Robards government increased foreign aid spending by almost 20% in its first term, with much of that aid money earmarked for sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, foreign minister Leonard Hand attempted, without success, to mediate an end to the violence in Rwanda.

Robards also extensively toured the European Union in 1997-98, in an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate a free trade agreement with European nations. He also failed in his attempts to establish a FTA with Australia, but the Australian government said it was prepared to negotiate in the future.

Re-election and second term

In June 1997 the Bank of Georgeland cut interest rates for a third consecutive quarter, signalling a return to a more stable economy. With opinion polls showing strong support for the government, and with the economic situation having improved, Robards called upon president Donald Davis to dissolve parliament for an early election, albeit one held only for the House of Commons, as senate terms were not due to expire until 2000. The election was scheduled for 1 August. The campaign was dominated heavily by economics and the potential for a recovery from the 1990s recession. Robards consistently outperformed Conservative leader Shawn Hedges in polls. Despite hiccups, including several somewhat embarrassing misspeaking incidents from economic ministers, a a higher-than-expected turnout of 72% produced an overwhelming victory for the coalition - Labour won 133 seats, enough for a majority in its own right, which it hadn’t achieved since the 1950s. Despite this, Robards and Democratic leaders agreed to continue the coalition, though Hand had stepped down before the election and been replaced by Andrea Perkins, who became the first woman Deputy Prime Minister.

The Robards government’s second term was marked by a concentration on social policy. The Parliament passed a landmark bill in January 1998, which provided for guaranteed paid maternity leave for working women. Childcare benefits were increased and the Georgeland National Health Service, failing in recent years, was bolstered. Defence spending was cut, but offset by outsourcing several defence elements to contractors, under heavily monitored conditions.

The biggest failure of the second Robards term was an attempt to deunionise the Labour Party. Labour unions exerted what Robards called ‘undue influence’ on the party, and in late 1997 he set out cleaning up union corruption within the party. The proposed changes were popular with rank-and-file members but not with factional leaders, with whom Robards had never had a strong relationship. In February 1998, King resigned as deputy leader and fuelled reports of a leadership challenge, despite the government only having just won re-election. In order to sooth tensions, Robards abandoned most of his proposed changes. Transport minister Anthony McDonald replaced King as deputy Labour leader.

On 17 October 1998, a fire broke out at the Point Freeman Nuclear Facility, located in outer Santa Christina. The fire caused damage to one of the plant’s reactors and several key electrical systems to short out. Though the fire was eventually contained, a small non-lethal dose of radiation was released. Four plant workers died, and sixteen others were hospitalised. Reports of illness in the surrounding area led to the federal government closing the plant from 19 October. The shutdown of the plant led to rolling blackouts across the metropolitan area. Following a commission of inquiry, the Robards government announced in January 1999 that the plant would remain closed for at least three years as a widespread review of the feasibility of nuclear energy was conducted.

On foreign policy Robards continued his investment in Africa and the Asia-Pacific. A strong believer in internationalism, Robards was a key advocate for the establishment of the International Criminal Court and, at a conference in July 1998, Robards was one of the strongest supporters. After the ICC was created, Robards was quick to provide funding for the court’s operations and Georgeland was the second country to ratify its creation.

President Thomas Andrews, suffering severe depression, elected to retire at the end of 1998. The Robards government instituted a consultative appointment process and, in September, parliament elected Susan O’Byrne, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to be the country’s first woman president. O’Byrne took office at the beginning of 1999 and was replaced on the bench by Emma Ray. Ray remains the only Supreme Court judge appointed during Robards’ first tenure.

Leadership challenge and constitutional crisis

The beginning of 1999 saw the Robards government once again attempt to enact reforms to modernise the Labour Party. Robards, though he supported trade unionism, committed to the concept to ‘divorcing’ the party from unions so that industrial policy could be made without interference from, and influence by, powerful union officials. Robards was also motivated by a desire to reform unions and create a more accountable industrial award system, against the wishes of union and Labour factional leaders.

Opposition to the scheme, dubbed the Robards Reforms by the media, was led primarily by King but also by Defence Minister John Lane and Finance Minister John Robinson, both from the Left faction. On 27 April McDonald, according to Robards’ memoirs, issued an ultimatum that Robards abandon the changes, again, or face a leadership challenge which, according to Robinson, he would lose as a result of both the Left and Right factions allying against him. According to Robards, he told Lane and Robinson to ‘put their money where their mouth was’; Lane subsequently said Robards originally considered the offer but later changed his mind. Lane and Robinson, along with McDonald, resigned from Cabinet and announced a leadership challenge, with McDonald backed by the Right and with the Left refusing to endorse a candidate.

The challenge took place on 29 April. McDonald won the leadership election with 70 votes to Robards’ 69, and elected Rick Hancock deputy leader unopposed. Robards, however, refused to acknowledge the defeat and defiantly told the press he would not resign. McDonald immediately asked to be commissioned to form a government, but President Susan O’Byrne received advice from Robards that she not commission McDonald. A constitutional crisis then emerged as to which leader should advise the president in the event one was deposed as head of a party. On the evening of the 29th, Robards supporters including Sarah Atwater, Lawrence Porter, Keith Briggs and Zoe Parker met in room 297 of the Parliament building, in what became known as the 297 Club. Of the 69 who had supported Robards, 37 agreed to form a new party. When word reached other Labour members of the impending split another eight, including Alan Swan and Richard Marsden, who had opposed Robards, informed the deposed leader they would support him - Swan later admitted he did not believe Robards would attempt to stay on, and feared electoral catastrophe without him.

Early in the morning of 30 April, Robards informed O’Byrne that he would remain in power, having persuaded Perkins to continue to support Robards’ new party over Labour. This, however, ensured neither Robards nor McDonald could command a majority in the House of Commons. Though McDonald insisted he be commissioned, O’Byrne, having spent the day deliberating, elected to appoint the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Fisch, to head an interim government. Fisch was appointed on the proviso the House be immediately dissolved and a new election called, the fourth in as many years. Later Robards wrote that while he opposed this decision, he understood it and held no ill-will towards O’Byrne for making a decision in a very difficult and unprecedented scenario.

The election date was set for 4 June. On 2 May, Robards announced the formation of the Liberal Party of Georgeland, a merger of his own supporters and of the centrist Georgeland Party led by Christine Hinkle. This announcement caused a political realignment and came almost without warning. Hinkle and Robards, in a joint press conference, told the media that they had agreed on the need to tackle union corruption and pursue reforms to lobbying and campaign finance, and that the partnership would create a new centre-to-centre-left party, with both leaders agreeing to compromise on policy, especially economic ideas. That evening, the Liberal Caucus, consisting of 45 former Labour members and 29 Georgeland Party members elected Robards as leader and Hinkle as deputy leader.

At the general election, the Liberals won 99 of the 265 House of Commons seats, compared to 104 for the Conservatives, 38 for the Democrats, and only 24 for Labour. It was Labour’s worst result in a century - the party would never hold office again. On 30 May, Perkins confirmed she and the Democrats were in talks with Robards about a new coalition government - on 2 June the two parties announced they would form a new administration, with Perkins again Deputy Prime Minister. The coalition was nonetheless a minority government, Georgeland’s first since 1915, and dependent on a demoralised Labour Party for key legislation.

Third term

On 11 September 1999, documents revealed a serious breach of electoral laws by the Liberal executive, who had falsely registered hundreds of members in order to qualify as a party for the last election. After several weeks of media and parliamentary attack on the issue, on October 3 Robards had the entire Liberal executive suspended, and forced an investigation into the affair. Robards resisted calls for a Special Commission. The final report, released by the Electoral Office in August 2000, showed a lack of evidence the fraud had been deliberate, and that by the election date the party had been correctly, legally registered. No official was ever charged with a crime, and many resumed their previous positions after some time.

Notable acts passed during the third Robards government included Georgeland’s first national firearms control laws, recognition of same-sex relationships for medical and family benefits, and the establishment of the Law Reform Advisory Committee.

On 1 January 2000, in accordance with two separate referendums held in 1998, the state of Mainland was divided into two new states, East Mainland and West Mainland. The Robards government passed the enabling legislation and provided more than $20 billion in support of the subdivision and establishment of infrastructure in both new states.

When General Pervez Musharaff, chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces, staged a military coup against the elected government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif in October 1999, Robards cut off diplomatic relations and closed the Georgeland High Commission in Islamabad, and argued for Pakistan’s suspension from the Commonwealth. Pakistan was suspended from 1999 until 2004 - Robards publicly opposed its reinstatement.

In February 2000, it was reported Robards had been involved in an affair with Cristina Carlsson, the wife of the Swedish ambassador to Georgeland, Gustaf Carlsson. Robards denied any affair took place, though opponents were able to show evidence Robards and Mrs Carlsson had been seen publicly intimate at diplomatic events, and that at least once Mrs Carlsson had been invited to the Residence. Robards insisted the relationship was innocent and that no security breach had taken place. Calls from the opposition for a formal investigation, however, were quietly put aside following the invasion of Corbana (below); in 2012 a leaked FISIA report concluded the affair had very likely taken place but there was no evidence of security considerations.

Corbana incident and resignation

A British possession until 1950, when it was transferred to Georgeland, the island of Corbana was used as a base by the Royal Navy, and by the United Islands Navy from 1967 to 1989.  The island remained of strategic value, and plans to re-open the naval base were drawn up during the Gulf War. Corbana remained a Georgeland possession and hosted a research station and a small maritime engineering facility.

In May 1999 tensions between India and Pakistan had escalated as Pakistani forces attacked India’s Kargil region and sparked the Kargil War between the two nuclear-armed powers. Georgeland military forces were placed on alert due to the developing conflict. While resolved by July, military tensions remained extremely high following the war.

On 3 June 2000, the Pakistani warship PNS Tippu Sultan was dispatched to Corbana; this was followed three days later by an invasion of the island by Pakistani forces. The invasion was in response to India’s deployment of its own warship, INS Ranjit, on May 12; Ranjit had been delayed by bad weather and Pakistan’s invasion was ostensibly to prevent India using the island’s facilities and to enforce Pakistani territorial claims to the island; initial reports suggested the attack was unauthorised by Islamabad, although it later emerged the attack had been ordered by the Defence Ministry. The Pakistani forces captured the 21 island inhabitants as hostages.

Reluctant to inflame tensions, Robards’ government deployed UIS Victor Martin and UIS Gorgon, both Finch-class guided missile destroyers (modified from the original British Type-42), to Corbana but resisted calls to launch a counter-invasion. Robards, determined instead to find a diplomatic solution, announced on 9 June that he would resign if he was unable to solve the crisis without violence. India’s prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, offered to retake the island with Indian forces but Robards, despite pressure to accept the offer from the British, American and Australian governments, refused to allow it.

In his memoirs years later, Robards elaborated on his determination. The situation was very volatile, the Kargil War having ended less than a year previously and Robards was concerned any loss of life would not only affect the country’s relationship with Pakistan, but could lead to the hostages being killed. Robards was also concerned that the signal station on the island, used for intelligence, would be permanently lost.

The situation remained at a stalemate. On June 20, Ranjit engaged Tippu Sultan; the two warships had been exchanging warning shots for more than two weeks. Tippu Sultan was heavily damaged and withdrew, leaving the commandos on the island isolated. Robards described himself as ‘furious’ with the Indian government over the escalation. Domestic political opinion very much favoured a military solution, with 63% of surveyed Georgelanders describing Robards’ handling of the situation as poor. On June 22, Defence Minister Sarah Atwater resigned; she had been in conflict with Robards and the Foreign Minister, Xavier McLaren, over the issue.

On 24 June, Indian forces invaded Corbana and released the hostages, though three were killed and five wounded. Five Pakistani commandos and three Indian soldiers were also killed. Robards made a national address in which he lamented the loss of life and committed to resigning as he had promised to do. Indian forces remained in control of Corbana until August 17 when they evacuated and the island returned to Georgeland control. Robards announced the government would suspend diplomatic relations with Pakistan - they were restored in 2003.

Robards’ resignation became effective from 30 June, his 36th birthday. On 29 June, the Liberal Party elected Michael Elderton, erstwhile Education Minister, to succeed Robards. Robards formally resigned to President O’Byrne and Elderton was commissioned to form a new government from 1 July. Robards was immediately made Treasurer in Elderton’s government.

Cabinet minister

Robards was sworn in as Treasurer on 2 July; most of the previous Cabinet retained their positions, and Atwater was reinstated as Defence Minister. Robards’ position in the new government caused considerable media scrutiny, and often more attention was given to him than to Elderton, which caused a rift between the two. Robards handed down his only budget as Treasurer on August 24; there was little policy change from his own government.

A cabinet reshuffle in April 2001 moved Robards from Treasury to the Foreign Office, at his request. Perkins was made Treasurer in an effort to secure a stronger relationship between the Liberals and the Democrats, while McLaren was removed from Cabinet altogether. This change ultimately sealed Elderton’s fate as prime minister as McLaren had been a key ally. Internal polling showed Elderton deeply unpopular, though Opposition leader Mary Byrne was also not popular, with both parties losing ground. Polling also showed that while Robards’ response during the Corbana crisis was unpopular, Robards himself remained overwhelmingly voters’ choice to lead the Liberal Party; indeed, his decision to resign was often seen as a positive and a mark of integrity.

In late May, Robards attended a trilateral conference in Singapore with the foreign ministers of Singapore and Malaysia. On his return, he was immediately asked about the new polling information and whether he was planning a challenge to Elderton. He immediately denied it; media reported his supporters, including Atwater and Zoe Parker, were mobilising. Elderton declared on 1 June that he would not entertain any leadership vote, a position he was forced to contradict on 3 June when he said it would be a matter for the party.

By 13 June, Elderton’s position had become untenable. Hinkle, Parker and Keith Briggs resigned from Cabinet (there were reports Elderton dismissed them), and backbencher Greg Ryder announced he would call for a leadership vote. McLaren then agreed to second the motion, and at a emergency party meeting that evening, the leadership was declared vacant. Elderton then announced he would not run against Robards, but that he woud not serve in Robards’ ministry if he, Robards, were elected leader.

After evading media for much of the evening, Robards confirmed in the early hours of the 14th that he would be a candidate. The following day he was elected leader unopposed. On 16 June, less than a year after he resigned, Robards was appointed prime minister by President O’Byrne. Elderton thus became the first prime minister to never lead his party to an election.

Fourth term

Robards left much of the cabinet intact, restoring Hinkle, Parker and Briggs, and appointing McLaren as both Minister for Finance and Attorney General. On 24 July, he pledged Georgeland’s humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka following the bombing of Bandaranaike Airport. Robards had been office only a few weeks when the United States was attacked by al-Qaida on September 11. Robards made a strong statement condemning the attacks and terrorism, but stopped short of pledging any military support for the Bush Administration and the War on Terror. In response to questions regarding national security, Robards said there was little evidence of a terrorist plot in Georgeland, and maintained that laws and security would not prevent terrorists from achieving their goals, and would, in fact, help them. This was in spite of pressure from the country’s national security apparatus.

Nevertheless, Robards supported military action in Afghanistan against the Taliban and authorised the dispatch of a squad of SAS troops to the region to assist U.S. forces. The SAS returned to Georgeland in 2003.

Assassination attempt

Robards spoke in the House of Commons regarding the attacks several times throughout September. In response to a question from Conservative Nick Sheridan regarding the ‘threat of radical Islam’, Robards told the House that ‘there is nothing to fear from Islam, Islam is no threat’.  

While giving a speech at the National Institute for the Prevention of Racism on 3 October 2001, Robards was shot in the shoulder by Hamid al-Zammah, a 20-year-old student of Yemeni parentage. The bullet hit no vital organs, but Robards was taken to hospital to be operated on. Surgeons elected to leave the bullet in place as removing it was considered too great a risk; Robards still carries the bullet today. Robards made a complete recovery within a week; one lingering effect was shoulder pain, and it was around this time Robards began using small amounts of cannabis as a painkiller.

The ethnicity and religious status of the would-be assassin immediately sparked debate as to the War on Terror and the risk to Georgelanders from Islamic extremism. al-Zammah was later found to have been mentally unstable and with a history of substance abuse and mental illness. While reports at the time suggested al-Zammah had been offended by Robards’ statement that Islam was no threat, or that he intended to prove it was, lawyers maintained al-Zammah acted purely due to his condition and had no political motivation. al-Zammah remains in a mental institution as of 2024; in 2019, Robards said he had long ago forgiven his attacker and wished him no ill-will.

Iraq War and 2003 election

In March 2002, legislation legalising stem-cell research was blocked by the Senate. Robards threatened an election over the issue, but backed down after polling suggested the Conservatives in a winning position for the first time in almost ten years. Negotiations between the government and independent senators James Hanlon and Stephen McDonald eventually led to the bill’s passage in August. This same legislative period produced the first National Education Service as a result of the Education Services Act 2002, and extended the National Health Service Act to include certain mental disorders, including the first national funding for autism research and treatment.

Robards condemned the October 2002 resolution of the U.S. Congress authorising military action against Iraq. In a tense phone call with U.S. president George W. Bush, Robards refused to countenance any use of Georgeland facilities in an invasion, an act that injured U.S. ties. When Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, appeared at the United Nations on 5 February 2003, Robards responded by declaring Georgeland would never vote for a war against Iraq, and claimed Powell’s testimony had been ‘deeply flawed’. For his comments, Robards was attacked in American media. Bush referred to Robards as ‘not one of our friends’; the two men have never met. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Robards personally addressed the UN General Assembly, in April 2003, condemning the attack. One of the strongest voices against the war in international affairs, Robards’ position caused a rift between himself and his British counterpart Tony Blair (the two had been friends) and made Robards an international figure. His speech, in which he said ‘War is a cowardly act, encouraged only by cowardly men’, has been viewed more than 35 million times on YouTube and remains one of the most prominent speeches of Robards’ career.

On 15 November 2002, Robards announced the appointment of Admiral Hank Reynolds, formerly the Chief of Navy, to succeed O’Byrne as President. Reynolds took office on 3 January 2003.

Adamant in his stance against the invasion, Robards called a general election for 25 July 2003. He campaigned on keeping the country out of war and on opposing proposed anti-terrorism laws. The election saw the Liberals and Democrats win 165 of the 265 seats in the House of Commons, the largest majority of Robards’ electoral history.

Formation of the Liberal Democrats

With the ideological similarities between the Liberal and Democratic parties, a merger of the two had been touted as early as 1999. Robards supported the idea but Perkins did not - after her retirement a merger became far more likely, since her successor Warren Barker was a supporter. Barker and Robards agreed in May 2003 to pursue a merger after the election; by the time of the election it was an open secret that the merger would be formalised, and the two parties did not oppose one another in any seats. In August, party officials agreed on a merger; the Liberal Party’s executive could approve it, but the Democrats required a vote of all its members. Conditions placed on the merger by the Democrats included a provision that the membership of the new party be responsible for electing a leader, as the Democratic Party had always done. Robards, though in principle opposed to such a system, agreed on the condition he and Barker be unopposed as leader and deputy until the end of the parliamentary term.

Democratic members voted by 59% to 41% in favour of the merge in November, and the new party, the Liberal Democratic Party, was inaugurated on 1 February 2004. On 2 February, Robards and Barker were elected unopposed.

Political and social reforms

The new parliament passed some of the most significant social reforms of Robards’ career. In September 2003, the Family Services Act introduced the first mandated parental leave scheme for federal employees and the following month legislation was passed to legalise the use of human stem cells for medical research.

In December, Robards pledged a referendum on the voting system, advocating for a ranked-choice ballot instead of the first-past-the-post system in use since 1891. This was followed by proposals for constitutional reform, including reducing the term of senators from eight years to six, and the term of the House of Commons from four years to three. More controversial was the proposal to return to an elected presidency. Robards opposed any moves away from the nonpartisan, appointed presidency but polls showed clear momentum for reform, largely due to dissatisfaction with the political system and feelings of disempowerment.

The momentum grew when President Reynolds, having been hand-picked by Robards, was forced to resign in February 2004  following revelations he had used his state-funded car while head of the navy to solicit prostitutes. This scandal demonstrated to some the lack of accountability in the choice of president. Bowing to public pressure, Robards announced a referendum in July 2004 on three constitutional questions and one on the electoral system. All three constitutional proposals - on an elected presidency, removing the prime minister from the line of succession as acting president, and the terms of parliament - passed by narrow majorities. On the electoral system, the proposal for a ranked-choice system won a plurality, but not a majority of votes. Robards claimed this as a mandate for change, and the Electoral Reform Act 2004 introduced the new voting system, and standardised the voting system used to elect senators.

In February Robards announced the Governor of East Mainland, Charlotte Lang, would complete Reynolds’ term as president. The Presidential Elections Act mandated that the first presidential election since 1958 would be held at the end of Lang’s term in 2008.

Same-sex marriage legislation

The most contentious social legislation of Robards’ final term came about towards the end of 2004 on the subject of same-sex marriage in Georgeland. Robards, who had always been progressive on LGBT rights, put a proposal to cabinet in July to amend the Families Act to permit same-sex couples to marry. Cabinet endorsed the proposal but it was heavily debated, and some more right-wing members of the Liberals openly opposed it. The Democrats were unanimously in favour. Several Conservative politicians, including leader Sam Richardson, were hostile to the idea and campaigned against it, even suggesting an election should be held on the issue. Robards sought legal advice which, citing the UIG v Scoita case on abortion, affirmed the use of the births, deaths and marriages power to pass the amendments to the Families Act.

Despite the hostility, Robards pushed the legislation through the Commons, though he was forced, after facing a backbench revolt, to accept a free vote on the issue. The amendments passed the Senate on September 15 and the House on September 17, and were signed into law the following week. Georgeland was the third country worldwide to legalise same-sex marriage, the first predominantly Anglophone country and the first in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the years since, Robards has said legislating for same-sex marriage was his proudest achievement as prime minister. In 2019, on the 15th anniversary of the law, Robards apologised to the LGBT community for not acting sooner.

Minority government and second resignation

After Barker was embroiled in a sex scandal, having been accused of providing a salaried job for a woman with whom he had an affair, he resigned as LDP deputy leader on 28 July 2004. While former Democrats rallied around Michael Gannett or Bill Williamson, two senior ministers who had both been Democrats, another camp attempted to install Perkins, who had returned to parliament in 2003, as deputy leader. The two campaigns worked against one another and Zoe Parker, a former Labourite and Robards ally, was elected. Parker’s ascension made her the most likely successor to the leadership but was seen as a centralisation of power from Robards.

Senate terms having been shortened by the constitutional referendum, a new general election needed to be called in 2005 in order to keep the new House and Senate terms in sync. The hostile senate had, in 2004, blocked legislation on stem cell research again, creating the trigger for a rare full dissolution. The timing being serendipitous, Robards called upon the president for a new election, for 18 February 2005.

The election campaign focused on economic issues and foreign policy rather than the medical and social legislation being held up in the Senate. The need for an election was questioned and polling suggested voters had a degree of ‘election fatigue’, with some resentment at having to go back to the polls so soon. The election result saw significant Conservative gains, and a surge in support for the new Georgeland Alliance, formed by Elderton and his supporter with a more centrist political ideology. The result was 131 seats for the LDP and 121 for the Conservatives, with the balance of power held by the Alliance, Green Party and six independents. Robards continued as prime minister in a minority government, but with his majority destroyed found it increasingly difficult to govern.

In May 2005, Hinkle, by then health minister, resigned from Cabinet and announced in the House that she would be leaving the LDP to sit as an Independent. She claimed ‘interference’ from Robards and directly implicated him in a ‘culture of secrecy, nepotism and Machiavellian scheming’. Hinkle claimed Robards had sidelined her in policy development and humiliated her in Cabinet in order to get his own way. Hinkle also accused Robards of running his office ‘like the Mafia’ and of using bullying and intimidation against colleagues. She cited Parker’s election as an example, accusing Robards of ‘stitching it up’ for his benefit at the expense of party democracy.

Hinkle’s resignation signalled a serious rift inside the government, and the media covered the events for weeks. Virtually every Question Period became dominated by Hinkle’s accusations, and every interview with a minister inevitably included the subject of Robards’ future. Polling data began to shift away from Robards, though the LDP remained well ahead of the Conservatives. In late May, McLaren (a Hinkle ally) and Alan Swan also resigned from Cabinet after having presented Robards with an ultimatum to resign himself.

Robards’ position became untenable with Swan’s resignation; Swan, a party apparatchik, had positioned himself to be involved in a leadership challenge, possibly from McLaren or Perkins. With an election held only months prior, the minority government was on the verge of collapse as a no-confidence motion was a serious possibility. Rather than face the prospect, Robards announced, on 8 July he would resign at the end of the month, but did not endorse a successor. He also declared he would leave the House of Commons rather than remain a backbencher.

On 28 July Robards delivered his final address to the Commons where he spoke of his pride in policy and political achievements. At the end of the speech, he declared that he wanted his final word in the House to be one that had never been said in Parliament before and ended his address with the word ‘mangosteen’. He later discovered that he was wrong, and the word had been used several times in a debate on fruit importation in 1968.

Political interlude

The Liberal Democrats held a leadership election to replace Robards using new rules put in place at the party’s foundation. Former Democrats had insisted on the leader being chosen by rank-and-file members as opposed to the Labour caucus - a compromise was reached in which the party room would select its choice, and the two most successful candidates would then need to be elected by party members. The party room narrowly favoured Perkins over Parker, but Parker prevailed in the membership vote. Two days after Robards’ final speech, Parker was sworn in as his successor. Robards formally resigned from the House of Commons on 12 August and immediately went on a family holiday.

Upon Robards' return, the Liberal Democrats announced Deborah Robards as its choice to run in the Santa Christina by-election. Robards insisted this had been her choice and that he had no input on the matter. Deborah Robards was unopposed and was made the party’s candidate, and was subsequently elected as an MP on 14 October. Robards made no campaign appearances during the by-election, evidently at his wife’s request.

Rescue Foundation

In November 2005, Robards announced the formation of an international aid organisation, the Rescue Foundation, with himself as its chair and a board including high-profile former and current politicians and business leaders from around the world. Among those on the board were U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, former UK cabinet minister Shirley Williams, former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke and former US Vice President Al Gore. The Rescue Foundation, to be headquartered in New York City, declared its mission to be the eradication of global poverty, with an emphasis on facilitating aid programs and developing infrastructure. Robards’ critics dismissed Rescue as an ego trip, while the agency was praised by UNICEF for its commitment and ability to raise money. Robards served as Chair of Rescue from 2006 to 2011, concurrently with some other duties, and remained on its board until the agency was dismantled in 2016.

For his humanitarian efforts, Robards was awarded a United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 2008. He also received honours from the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh and Zambia for Rescue’s involvement in foreign aid.

United Nations

On January 11 2006, the Parker government announced Robards would be Georgeland's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a decision criticised by the media and opposition as 'cronyism'. The government defended the appointment as appropriate due to Robards' long career and understanding of international relations, support for the UN, and connections in diplomacy. Robards committed to relocate to New York for the duration of his appointment, while continuing to serve as Chair of Rescue on a part-time basis.

In October 2006 Robards was given a speeding ticket by New York police for driving at 80mph along an upstate New York highway. Robards attempted to use diplomatic immunity to avoid the fine but, after public pressure, relented and paid a total of $450 to state authorities.