Australia Day 2021 comes with lowest republican sympathies since 1979

 

Support for Australia adopting a republican form of state has slipped, according to a poll published for Australia Day in The Age, which reveals only a third of Australians are in favour, 40 per cent were opposed to a republic. 

The polls show support for a republic has steadily ebbed since a peak in December 1999 – when 57 per cent of Australians were in favour – immediately after the failed 1999 republic referendum. The latest Ipsos poll found support for Australia becoming a republic was lowest among those in the 18-24 year old group, with only 26 per cent in favour compared to 34 per cent in all other age groups. 

Greens and Labor voters were more likely to support a republic (46 per cent and 41 per cent respectively) compared to 27 per cent of Coalition voters. 

Ipsos director Jessica Elgood said 34 per cent support for republic was the lowest recorded by Ipsos and Nielsen polls since 1979. She said former US president Donald Trump had not made a presidential system a particularly appealing prospect for most of Australia. 

Australian Republic Movement (ARM) chairman Peter FitzSimons did not accept the result of the opinion poll: "... We have been getting phenomenally strong support.” He claimed ARM's membership had increased by 19 per cent in the past six months. On Australia Day 2016 Mr. FitzSimons said former PM Tony Abbott's re-introduction of Knights and Dames in the year before had given the ARM momentum. He claimed then, ARM's membership had quadrupled since Mr. Abbott's "captain's pick", although total numbers were still just under 5,000. Will the new 19 per cent increase bring the figure up to the 2016 level?

The Australian Monarchist League anticipates support for the monarchy to increase dramatically over the next year with the Queen’s 95th birthday occurring on the 21st of April 2021 and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday on June the 10th this year and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrating 70 years on the throne occurring on the 6th of February 2022.

Turnbull's 'Keatingesque' support for republican movement a 'political death wish'

Yesterday evening Prime Minister Turnbull addressed a millionaire's meeting - aka 25th anniversary dinner of the Australian republican Movement (ARM) - in Sydney. His reaffirmed his support for "a" republic was not excactly welcomed by the media, which says a lot considering usually the pro-republican bias. The HeraldSun's report predicted The only republic Turnbull will give us is a banana one. And the ABC quoted federal government MPs saying: Turnbull's 'Keatingesque' support for republican movement a 'political death wish'.

Malcolm Turnbull knew, that the idea to replace the Australian Constitutional Monarchy with "a" republic has little support, therefore he called for "a strong grassroots political movement mobilising a substantial majority behind the republic, that must be delivered by [the] republican movement today … not by the Government or the Opposition". He even admitted: "It is hard to see how this issue would return to the forefront of debate during the Queen's reign."

So, can it be expected that all will be quiet at the republican front?

He did commit to working with republicans to create what he described "a grassroots campaign". "Right now” Turnbull said “an Australian republic is not inevitable, but we can make it so by working together on this great unfinished business for our nation."

As far as monarchists are concerned, they would not have been pacified in any way with his comments and in particular with his closing remarks “Advance Australia. Up the republic.” They would also be concerned that the Prime Minister has committed to working with the Australian Republican Movement to make "a" republic happen.

Monarchists must be vigilant and fight the numerous signs of republicanism in the country. Next Australia Day will see many republicans crawl out of their holes and attack the Crown. The Australian of the Year who was appointed on Australia Day 2016 was a disgrace and threatened to fight for "a" republic during his tenure. Fortunately the man was so controversial that calls for the Resignation of David Morrison as Australian of the Year never stopped.

Happy Australia Day

Letter to the editor, published in The Age:

January 26 – a day for genuine celebration

Few Australians will agree with Martin Flanagan that "the great historical divide is between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians". If a division exists, it is between defenders of traditional Australia and those who seek to transform it.

We traditionalists support the Crown, the flag, our primary connection with the motherland, Britain, and the rule of law as it was bequeathed to us by our forebears from that nation. For us, Australia Day is the best day for celebration as it marks the moment when our nation – one of the most successful in the world – was born.

Nigel Jackson, Belgrave

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.

Celebrating Prince Philip's birthday in Melbourne

H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh

When His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was awarded Australia’s highest honour as Knight of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2015 there was great misunderstanding in Australia about the Queen's husband.

But the "youngest" Australian knight has his supporters down under and they gather to celebrate his 94th birthday on 10th June.

Join in at 2 pm at the Mission to Seafarers, 717 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3005.

Mission to the Seafarers, Melbourne

The seafarers' building was designed by Walter Butler in 1916 and is architecturally significant as being a fine urban example of the Arts and Crafts & Spanish Mission style in Melbourne. It was also the place, where Melburnian Monarchists came together to celebrate Prince Charles' 60th birthday in 2008 and the Queen's Accession Day in 2012.

Australia Day: Sir Angus Houston and Prince Philip awarded Knight of the Order of Australia

Her Majesty The Queen of Australia has accepted the Prime Minister's recommendation that His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC (Mil) AFC (Retd) be awarded Australia’s highest honour as Knights of the Order of Australia.

His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
This honour recognises the contribution of the Duke of Edinburgh to Australia throughout The Queen’s sixty two year reign.

Prince Philip’s long life of service and dedication should be honoured by Australia.

For three quarters of a century, Prince Philip has served the Crown, and the wider Commonwealth. He served originally as an officer in the Royal Navy and then as a member of the Royal family.

In this official portrait HRH Prince Philip is wearing the uniform of the Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force.

He has served Australia with distinction and is patron of over 800 organisations. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Australia has supported the development of young Australians for more than fifty years. The Award has positively influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of young Australians. There are currently 23,000 young Australians undertaking the Award.

During Australia’s Bicentenary, Prince Philip was appointed a Companion in the Military Division of the Order of Australia for “service to the Australian Defence Force as Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Australian Navy, Field Marshal in the Australian Army and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force”.

The Duke of Edinburgh joins The Prince of Wales who was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia in 1981.


Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK AC (Mil) AFC (Retd)
This honour recognises Air Chief Marshal Houston’s extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit in service to Australia over many years. Sir Angus served in the armed forces for over forty years rising to become Chief of Air Force in 2001 and Chief of the Defence Force in 2005.

He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003 and made a Companion of the Order of Australia (Military Division) in 2008. Since Sir Angus retired from the military in 2011, he has continued to serve in significant leadership roles including Chairman of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board, Chairman of Airservices Australia and Chairman of the Council for the Order of Australia.

In the difficult hours after the loss of MH 370 and the loss of MH 17, Australia turned to Sir Angus to lead our response. He headed the Joint Agency Coordination Centre during the search for Flight MH 370 and he was my Special Envoy to Ukraine leading efforts to recover, identify and repatriate Australians killed on Flight MH 17.

Successive governments have relied on Sir Angus’ wisdom, judgment and character. Throughout his life, Sir Angus has put Australia first.

Minor republican grumble on Australia Day
Unlike previous Australia Day holidays, this year saw only little mumbles of republicansm. The Leader of the opposition, William Shorten, held a speech to mark the launch of a new book to re-establish his republican credentials: "Let us rally behind an Australian republic – a model that truly speaks for who we are: our modern identity, our place in our region and our world." In a subsequent press conference, Mr Shorten said that while he was not yet pushing for a second referendum, because the opinion polls clearly indicate that the number of republicans is declining and Mr. Shorten avoided any indication on what kind of republic he wants to replace the successful Australian Monarchy.

The Age hid Mr Shorten's speech on page 6 and referred to it in its Australia Day editorial without great optimism:

Australians show little inclination to revisit the debate about ties to the monarchy. ...
The Age supports the goal to appoint an Australian head of state, to reflect the country's confident and independent identity in what has been termed the Asian century. But Australians will only support a republic when the model of presidential system is settled and community leaders demonstrate a willingness to advocate for the cause. 

 Happy Australia Day! And long live the Queen of Australia!

Prince Charles marked Australia Day
26th January 2011

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Australian High Commission in London on 26h January to mark Australia Day and pay tribute to those who had lost their lives in the Queensland floods.



The event, attended by members of the Australian community, commemorated those killed in the natural disaster and recognised the efforts of the emergency services and the public who helped save lives, homes and businesses.

In a speech The Prince told the guests Australians had "shown such amazing ability to survive, endure and somehow make jokes about the horror that everybody's facing".

His Royal Highness also told the invited audience of leading Australians how in 1966 he spent around six months in their country and developed a "huge affection" for the nation.

The Prince spent two terms as an exchange student at Timbertop, a remote outpost of the Geelong Church of England Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia.

He then made them laugh when he said: "I've been through my fair share of being called a 'pommie bastard' - by God it was good for the character.

"If you want to develop character go to Australia."


The Prince went on to say how livestock farmers were showing "unbelievable courage and resilience in the face of all these disasters".

He added: "The emergency services - we know how incredible they are when these disasters occur.

"We know also, just how much people in communities are helping each other. Suddenly adversity produces extraordinary generosity of spirit and people working together in a way perhaps hadn't quite happened before."

Australia's flood crisis began with record rains in November that left huge parts of the state of Queensland under water, killing 30 people.

The natural disaster also damaged or destroyed 30,000 homes and businesses and caused at least £1.9 billion in damage to crops and lost coal exports.

The state capital and the country's third-largest city, Brisbane, was swamped for days. The flood waters are now affecting parts of Victoria.

The Duchess is greeted by Australian writer Kathy Lette at a reception held at Australia House, the Australian High Commission in London.

Hosting the evening was Australia's High Commissioner John Dauth, and among the guests was Australian writer Kathy Lette who shared a joke with The Duchess and said afterwards: "I warned her that she was in a room full of convicts - the 'creme de la crim'."

The Age: This year's republican parrot talk

On Australia Day The Age put up a united front against the Constitution, the Australian flag and first of all against the Australian Monarchy. Actually, everything seems to be a repeat from previous years.

As a commentator remarked: These has-beens say the same thing every Australia Day and quite frankly it is boring. Most Australians don't care enough to change to bother talking about it. Do you just republish the same newspaper every Australia Day so you can have a day off too.

Peter Gebhardt asked for “independence from the regal pantomime in England”.

John Huxley collected quotes from a dozen former Australians of the Year, among them Harold Scruby, who founded Ausflag in 1981, who had said: “We believe the time has come to embrace a flag worthy of our sovereign, independent, mature, egalitarian nation; our own flag."

The most common, very, very common was Larissa Behrendt, professor of law at the University of Technology, Sydney, chairwoman of the Bangarra Dance Theatre and 2011 NSW Australian of the Year, who came up with this all too familiar slogan: “Becoming a republic is inevitable and it's time to rekindle the debate.” You wouldn’t believe the originality.

Worst of all is today's editorial in The Age: "The last national leader who accepted the challenge was Paul Keating, and when he left office, nearly 60 per cent of Australians supported a republic.” The Age might be the only one in Australia regretting Paul Keating has disappeared from the political arena.

In view of the recent opinion polls mentioned below The Age appears like an Australian version of The Pravda with its republican rants, that left no space for a single pro-Monarchist article on Australia Day. Don't they fear the Australians might get an overdose of the same old republican propaganda that was published on other occasions? May this empire of evil speaking collapse soon.

In 2010, 52 per cent favoured the Constitutional Monarchy for Australia rather than “a” republic. The Age on 22nd December 2010: A total of 52 per cent think the nation should remain a monarchy.

And on 28th August 2010:
Australian support for the country becoming a republic is at its lowest level since 1994.

The RadicalRoyalist’s previous responses to The Age’s republicanism on Australia Day reply to all the allegations published today and can be read here from 2007 and here from 2009.

Prince William's Australia Day speech at Government House in Melbourne

On 21st January 2010 Prince William spoke at Government House in Melbourne to address the people at the state of Victoria's Australia Day celebrations .

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land, the Kulin Nation, and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present. Being in Australia is the realisation of a dream.

As far back as I can remember, I have heard from my family about the wonders of Australia and the hospitality and friendship of the Australian people.

My father had such a great time here at school - and is still misty-eyed about an immortal moment on Bondi, when an Australian beauty planted a smacker on his cheek. It's good to see this tradition is continuing!

I also remember my mother coming back from her time here in 1996, telling me what a profound impression this country had made on her and how much she loved Australia. Three days here and now I know why. And of course, there's that other guy with the ginger hair, who just never ever stops banging on about you and how I haven't lived because I haven't been to Australia - blah, blah, blah.

Because of this, and because of the respect the world has for your unique way of life, your vibrancy, your straightforward ways, your classic sense of humour, I have been longing to return.

The last time I was here I was nine months old and seeing the world from a very low level; certainly not one from which to appreciate this awesome place.

What has struck me during this visit to the southern hemisphere is what "shared heritage" actually means.

It really is about core values and our way of life. It really is about humour and decency.

And it is also about courage and an ability to face down adversity. Today, on the outskirts of Melbourne, I was privileged to see the spirit of Australia in its purest, most magnificent form.

My family, along with millions around the world, followed the events of last February with a sense of horror which slowly, as the days passed, turned to one of deep, deep admiration for the steadfastness of the Australian people.

The stories of suffering I have heard today inevitably made me think about the ongoing tragedy of Haiti. Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone there.

What an exciting place Australia is, though! This truly is a country for the 21st century. I only wish I had a little longer to see a bit more of Melbourne, this legendary city of sport and culture.

But if I may, I'll be back!

So, coming to Australia is the realisation of this long-held dream.

To be standing here, in beautiful Melbourne, on a glorious summer's afternoon, is one thing. But to be asked to address you at the state of Victoria's Australia Day celebrations is a great honour for me.

Thank you for asking me to be here and making me feel so very welcome.

Happy Australia Day.

More reports on the Prince of Wales' website.

Keep Labour Day!

Yesterday Victoria enjoyed a public holiday. No, it was not Moomba Day, even if the TV coverage seems to suggest this. It was Labour Day, a special holiday for the working people – or as Kevin Rudd would say: the working families.

I did not notice any celebrations of members of the working class. All streets were quiet, well, except for the noise from the Moomba parade, which you could not avoid. One TV station briefly interviewed a worker, who is about to lose her job due to Pacific Brands closing all production plants in Australia. But even she was not in the mood to go out into the street and let the Victorians know about her anger and frustration. Could anyone spot an ALP march for the worker's rights?

Unlike our republicans friends I don’t propagate the abolition of Labour Day for lack of interest. The media did not even lead an attack against Labour Day, unlike their well-prepared though ill-written articles against Queen’s Birthday holiday or Australia Day. Last year The Canberra Times led the squadron: “The focus of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend was raised in Parliament in June 2000, where the relevance and significance were questioned by the Hon John Hatzistergos. An almost identical article to Ms Sherlock’s was run in today’s The Age. I’m not a die hard Monarchist, a Children’s Day (sorry I don’t raise goats) sounds plausible. I know this might sound kind of out there, but maybe we could incorporate ‘Children’s Day’ in the ‘Family Day’ we now celebrate in November?“

Emily Sherlock's article demanded: "Instead of honouring our monarch we could soon be honouring our children, with the minister calling for the Queen's Birthday break to be renamed the Kids' Day long weekend."

In The Age Michael Cooney favoured a “Kid’s Day” as well: "This year should be the last Queen's Birthday long weekend. It's time to replace a holiday based on the past with a holiday based on the future. So next year, the first Monday in June should be a new public holiday: Kids' Day." A reply to Sherlock's and Cooney's suggestions can be read here and here.

Of course we had a "Children's Day" in Victoria. It was part of the tradition of the Royal Show for over 120 years before it was abolished by the Kennett conservative government in the mid 1990s. The Age seems to have forgotten that.

The Age, of course, was more robust in its refusal of our Monarch’s birthday holiday: “Queen's birthday holiday gets to the heart of what it means to be Australian today, when only a minority of the population can relate to the redundant symbols and trappings of monarchy and colonialism … in 1958 Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day, and the official holiday was withdrawn due to lack of interest and relevance and has now rightly faded into obscurity”.

Who decided that Commonwealth Day was redundant or people did not care for a public holiday? Probably the same sort of politicians that decided we didn't want a Children's Day!

“Lack of interest and relevance” could be equally attributed to Labour Day. Should The Age’s criteria be used for the upholding of Labour Day, then it will might “rightly faded into obscurity”, as the editorialist had wished for Queen’s Birthday holiday. I could cite likeminded opinion pieces on Australia Day.

But contrary to the outspoken republicans I can assure the working class, that I fully support having Labour Day holiday here and elsewhere. I think that it serves honouring employees and those people who are self-employed, but depend on the goodwill of employers as well.

I don’t want it changed to a "work-relations day" or to the official Moomba Holiday. I want it as a reminder of the work of the people that is done quietly, but without which this country would not function. At the same time I claim Queen’s Birthday holiday not just for the Monarchists, but for our history and our future, because it reminds us of the overall good functioning democracy in Australia. Labour Day and Queen's Birthday holiday are two sides of the same coin.

All inclusive - Part I

A lie is a lie is a lie ...

Today's Age had more on the Australia Day celebrations and the republicans' discontent with the commemoration, thereby repeating the mantra of a so-called all inclusive republic:
"Bring on the republic and then we’ll truly have a great and unifying reason to celebrate our nation and all its people", proclaimed Trish S. from Bendigo.

Even better Jens Olaf Kleist, according to The Age a political scientist from Berlin, Germany, who is working on political memory and migration in Australia. This winter he will be a visiting scholar at the Institute of Social Research at Swinburne University: If a more just society for all Australians could be achieved, something that is possible in the framework of an inclusive republic, then this could be remembered in a truly inclusive commemoration that might also cast new light on Australia's origins."

The all inclusive republic can only work if they exclude the Monarchists. Obviously they don't count in the republicans' eyes. Only a good republican is a good citizen, so they might think.

They should be honest enough to say that they cannot include the Monarchists in their utopian republic. Also, I never heard that class struggles have come to an end in republican systems. An "all inclusive republic" does not exist and will never come into being.

Australia Day: A day we can all celebrate

People like myths. They seem to be so re-assuring. But always look who advocates myths. There’s always an aim behind a myth creating/creator.

Take Australia Day, yesterdays’ public holiday, when the country commemorated the day the first fleet arrived in Sydney Cove. I don’t mind that some indigenous Australians call it "invasion day". From their point of view, they are right, their ancestor’s country was invaded and a long suffering began. But for some 97 % of the population 26th January 1788 marked the start of the immigration of which we all took part in some form or other.

What today’s Age made of yesterday’s events was ludicrous. One letter writer demanded “A day we can all celebrate” and what kind of day was meant said another letter: “I know a date that will not bring us shame and sadness: the day we get over our obsession with Britain and become a republic.” The editorial supported that rubbish: “When a republic comes into being this nation will have a date that all citizens can truly call Australia Day.”

Myth "republic day"
It is a myth to think, a “republic day” would unite all Australians. Why should it? No matter which figure you believe, either the 55 % of the 1999 referendum who opposed the politicians republic or the 28 % in the ALP commissioned biased opinion poll, fact remains: There is a substantial number of Australians who do not want a republic and will always oppose a republic as well as a “republic day”.

Do Australian republicans think that the Monarchists would disappear into thin air or agree with a form of state they consider wrong and inadequate for this country? Or will the victorious republicans outlaw all Monarchist activities? Will we face a ban freedom of speech and freedom of thinking just to uphold the chimerical picture of a uniting or united republic?

I know of no republic that is actually uniting people. A classic example could be Germany, where today the 150th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm II is commemorated by Monarchists. The official national day in Germany is 3rd October. It should remind Germans of the unification of East and West Germany in 1990. But neither East nor West Germans are happy with that day and would like to change it to either a date in November or in May. However, there’s no agreement, if it should be changed and if so, to which date. It is only clear: Nobody likes the 3rd October.

Or take the French republic.

To this day many French royalists wear black armbands on 14th July. Not because they oppose civil liberties, but because of the republican ideology connected to this date. Royalists commemorate instead the killing of King Louis XVI on 21st January. This year all over France thousands gathered to pay homage to their (!) murdered King.

Even 138 years after a republican system was permanently installed in France (due to the division within the Royalist factions in the National Assembly, where they formed a majority until 1875), up to 20% of the French are Royalists. The opinion poll was commissioned by the party Alliance Royaliste, but is at least as credible as the ALP financed poll.

I have no figures for Portugal, but since a military coup proclaimed a republic in 1910 the country still has a considerable number of Monarchists and the Monarchist People’s Party (Partido Popular Monárquico – PPM) has deputies in the national assembly. The Portuguese Monarchists oppose the official national day and celebrate Portugal’s independence instead on 1st December. Under no circumstance would they join their republican countrymen in celebrating on 5th October, the day of shame. I could continue to give more examples.

Another myth: Party unity
The call for an all Australian embracing day comes at the same time, as reports emerged of the deep divisions within the Victorian ALP. A party should have a common aim, but this ALP state branch’s only aim is to stay in power. Very much like the NSW ALP, which is better known outside Victoria. It goes without saying that the Victorian Liberal Party is split in as many factions as the ALP.

There you have a day-to-day myth of a party united to work for ideals bursting like a bubble.

And these divisive politicians should be able to glue up all divisions on a republic day? Just to be nice to each other once a year?

I don’t give a cent for the myths The Age editorialists support every day. The Age ceased being a serious daily newspaper long time ago. The republican line the journalists have to follow has nothing to do with serious impartial reporting.

To sum it up
So the present Australia Day displeases some, because a minority feels excluded. As demonstrated, Australia Day embraces 95% and more Australians. I can not see any other day that could be equally embracive.

However, it could be asked: Why do you want a national day at all? I don’t need one to be re-assured that I am part of the Australian people. I don’t believe in the myth that we are all one and united behind a common aim.

Australian Cries

You could expect another republican push for Australia Day. After all, republicans – Australian republicans in particular – are so predictable. They use our public holidays to raise their voices. 2009 is no exception.

But sometimes they overdo their propaganda. Take for example Australian Republic Movement chairman Michael Keating who claimed in The Canberra Times “the country was ’crying out for leadership’ on the subject, and urged Mr. Rudd to commit to a process and timetable to pursue the issue.”

I don’t know, where Michael Keating lives, but in my home, people cry out for a reliable train service, they want a public transport worth that name and that does not hand over the profit to private contractors and leaves the patrons stranded on platforms; they cry for a better water management and they cry out against the desalination plant and the North-South pipeline through the Victorian countryside, but that seem to be secondary topics for the Greens. They cry for action against climate change and against the ridiculously low and inadequate 5% target, Kevin Rudd wants to achieve by 2020. But what is the threat to mankind caused by the climate change to the desire to have a politicians republic?

There are many political topics in Australia that need more attention, however Green Senator Bob Brown puts his emphasis on “a” republic: "Australia Day long weekend is the perfect opportunity for the Prime Minister to commit to building cross-party support for a vote on a plebiscite," Senator Brown said yesterday according to The Canberra Times.

I cry that our politicians cannot set their priorities straight.

As "un-Australian" as only republicans can be!


As could be expected on Australia Day, The Age gave space to another republican columnist. Ted O'Brian, national chairman of the Australian Republican Movement, tried to portray the Queen of Australia as “un-Australian”. Being of German origin this term reminds me of a not so glorious time in German history when being styled “un-German” could be a death sentence. I am sure Ted O’Brian didn’t have that in mind, because republicans tend to have a rather narrow perspective when it comes to historic parallels.

In his opinion piece (http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/our-leader-the-queen-how-unaustralian/2007/01/25/1169594429539.html) he doesn't give us a a clue as to what kind of republic he wants for Australia. He could only – and not for the first time – tell the readers why he was against the Australian monarchy.

And of course he didn’t refer to existing republics and their faults.

I recall three recent and very appalling failures of republican rule:

The president of Israel, Moshe Katsav, was asked to step down due to allegations that he raped up to ten women. He refused and instead asked the speaker of parliament to grant him “temporary leave”. So President Katsav is “on leave”.

He is following ingloriously along the same path as his predecessor who also had to step asided over corruption issues.

In France President Jacques Chirac has initiated a new law that would grant a president immunity from all prosecution “except treason”. Isn’t it wonderful, how a president who got 21 percent of the votes with a turnout of 56 percent of the population controls the French congress (a combined sitting by assemblée nationale and senate)? Laws are passed to make it impossible for any prosecutor to call the president to court. Even as a witness (s)he wouldn’t have to face a judge.

The third example is the US president, who is his own prime minister, trying to explain to Congress how to face the challenges of climate change and the war in Iraq.

He gave a helpless speech demonstrating once again how a partisan head of state divides a nation.

Australia Day is the time to reflect the advantages of our Monarchy. Very correctly Christopher Scanlon (The Age, 25 Jan.) lamented “having put everything up for grabs in the economic sphere … governments feel compelled to bolt down the national culture”.

Thankfully the position as the Australian head of state is not up for grabs.

Let’s face facts! In a republic only multi-millionaires can afford to run for the presidency and they need media support.

Should Rupert Murdoch decide who’ll be Australian president?

I will always prefer a monarch to a handpicked "mate" who is to the liking of the rich few.