Republicans rejoice about new knighthoods

In their wishful thinking Australia's Republican Movement claim: PM's honours move revives republican numbers. And the Fairfax media take that for real and called it "[t]he bizarre outcome [that] was among the unintended consequences of Tuesday afternoon's surprise announcement ..."

The ARM's membership numbers must have been pretty low that such a simple move can revive their numbers. The same Fairfax article stated the hard fact:

"A ReachTEL poll of more than 2000 Australians, conducted for Fairfax Media in February, found only 39.4 per cent of the population supports a republic - the lowest level in 20 years. The poll found only 35.6 per cent of 18- to 35-year-olds support the republic."

And when it comes to "dead, buried and cremated" as Michael Shmith called the imperial honours system in today's Age, because an ALP-government abolished it in 1982, the term is also a reminder that the veteran republican Michael Shmith was revived from retirement to write on his favourite topic: abolishing the Constitutional Monarchy in Australia. He and his fellow republicans deliberately ignore the fact that the new knighthoods aren't imperial honours, but Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia.

 However, the final sentence of Mr. Shmith's disapproving article is true:

"But how interesting, how intriguing, it would have been if Dame Quentin, who has made her republican sentiments more than obvious, had simply said: 'Thanks, but no thanks.'"

But the out-going Governour-General's family has already found comfort at the idea of the Damehood, greeting the homecoming Mrs. Bryce with "Dame Dee Dee, we love you, welcome home". Her son-in-law William Shorten, the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, smiled at the scene, which The Age published without further republicanism that could spoil the picture.