Is it Australia Day? Must be, because the republicans crawl out of their holes again

As certain that Australia Day is celebrated by the nation every 26th January it is certain that politicians and the media dig up the rotting corpse of the “Australian republic”.

This year is no exception.

The only difference is that all but one premier signed an open letter calling for a republic. In their letter they demand nothing new and even Melbourne’s daily newspaper The Age said the move is “to resuscitate the struggling republic debate”. Even an Australian Republican Movement paid opinion poll brought only 47 p.c. in favour of the sponsor’s intention. This was hardly the popular demand for a republic that the ARM had wished for.

The latest PR stunt is to declare an Australian republic “nothing less than a declaration of desired independence”, which was highlighted by The Age’s front page headline, Declaration of independence. As if Australia was still a colony and not an independent nation since 1901. On what planet do these republicans live?

Can’t they deal with the real issues?

Have a look at the country that solemnly proclaimed a declaration of independence in 1776 and check out the field of 20 presidential wannabes – one more frightening than the other. If a country of more than 300 million people cannot present more credible potential presidents than these 20, then a modern Constitutional Monarchy beats that old republic any time.

Republican presidential candidates - enough to make you a Monarchist.