Commonwealth of Australia: New succession laws take effect today

After the Australian Parliament passed the changes to the laws of succession (Succession to the Crown Bill 2015) the new rules come into effect on 26th March 2015. Australia was the last Commonwealth country to finish the legislative process because the federal parliament had to wait for the state parliaments to accept the new succession laws. Constitutional rules in Australia require that each of its six states consent to the changes – and while five have passed or are passing the necessary legislation, Western Australia was holding out.

Four years ago, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Australia, an agreement was made between those 16 countries who recognise The Queen as their Head of State that there would be changes to the royal succession laws. Four years on and despite an Act of Parliament being passed in the UK, the changes only come today into force.

Ironically, the hold-up for these changes was down the very state from which they originated in Australia. Part of the Perth Agreement in 2011 was that each of the 16 Commonwealth realms would, where appropriate, each introduce their own laws with the necessary changes and that these laws would all be brought into effect at the same time.

The Queen in Perth on 27th October 2011 (to her left is WA Premier Colin Barnett), where and when the Perth agreement was made during the Commonwealth Heads of Goverment Meeting (CHOGM).

While every other realm has either asserted that legislation isn't needed or that they have passed any necessary changes, the Western Australia parliament took its time.In February 2015 the WA parliament passed the necessary bills, which gave the federal parliament the green light to act. The Bill was passed with the votes of the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition.

The purpose of the Succession to the Crown Bill 2015 (the Bill) was to assent to three reforms concerning the succession to the Crown consistent with changes enacted in the United Kingdom Succession to Crown Act 2013 (UK) (UK Succession to the Crown Act). Those reforms are:

• to bring to an end the system of male primogeniture so that the order of succession will be determined by order of birth

• to remove the statutory provisions under which anyone who marries a person of the Roman Catholic faith loses their place in the line of succession and

• to limit the requirement that the Sovereign consent to the marriage of a descendant of his late Majesty King George the Second in certain circumstances.

Background

The United Kingdom enacted the UK Succession to the Crown Act on 25 April 2013. Whilst the UK Succession to the Crown Act commenced on that day, its provisions come into force ‘on such day and at such time as the Lord President of the Council may by order made by statutory instrument appoint’. According to an ABC media report in February 2014:

Commonwealth realms rushed to agree to the changes after Prince William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and next in line to the throne after his father, got married in April 2011.

They were agreed in principle by prime ministers of the 16 countries at a Commonwealth summit in Perth on October 28, 2011.

On 3 December 2012, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that they were expecting their first child, so in a sense the impending birth of Prince George became the catalyst for activity to modernise the laws of succession. The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nick Clegg, announced the agreement of the realms on 4 December 2012:

"The new rules will apply to any baby born in the line of succession, taking effect after the Prime Minister made the announcement in Perth, Australia, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in October 2011. At that meeting, an agreement was reached with all of the realms that the change should take effect immediately, and would be confirmed in legislation at a later date. This comes at the end of a significant period of work by the Government, the realms and Buckingham Palace."

The process of changing Royal succession laws is a lengthy one. As noted in a House of Commons research paper:

The Bill is tied into an international process. The Queen is Head of State of 16 states, including the UK, and her status is entrenched separately in each of these. The decision has been taken to move forward with changes at the same time in each of these “realms”. In October 2011, the political leaders of the realms agreed to change the rules of succession in two ways, to treat men and women equally, differentiating solely on the basis of age, and to remove the bar on the monarch or any person in the line of succession being married to a Roman Catholic (though the bar on the monarch being a Roman Catholic will remain). Work then began to bring all 16 of these states into a position in which the legislation could be introduced.

The ABC media report referred to above noted that British Government Ministers said that Australia was holding up changes to royal succession laws and that ‘all realms that took the view that legislation is required have passed the necessary legislation apart from Australia’.

The Council of Australian Governments agreed to the reforms on 25 July 2012 and at its April 2013 meeting agreed to the process to be undertaken:

COAG agreed to a hybrid model to implement the previously agreed changes to the rules of Royal succession in Australia. Under the hybrid model, States may choose to enact State legislation dealing with the rules of Royal succession. States have agreed that they will request the Commonwealth under s.51(38) of the Constitution to enact legislation, and that any State legislation will be consistent with their requests to the Commonwealth under s.51(38).

Section 51(xxxviii) of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Constitution) provides that:

The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:

(xxxviii) the exercise within the Commonwealth, at the request or with the concurrence of the Parliaments of all the States directly concerned, of any power which can at the establishment of this Constitution be exercised only by the Parliament of the United Kingdom or by the Federal Council of Australasia

All the Australian states have now enacted the necessary legislation requesting the Commonwealth to enact legislation for the whole of Australia and this legislation has now commenced, which was required before the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia could enact the Commonwealth legislation.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrated a Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of King Richard III in Leicester

Requiem Mass is what Richard III would have wanted, says Cardinal Nichols. The Archbishop of Westminster made the comments in his homily during a Requiem Mass for King Richard at Holy Cross Priory in Leicester on Sunday, 22nd March 2015.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols in Leicester Cathedrale

Full text of Cardinal Nichols’ homily:

This evening we fulfil a profound and essential Christian duty: that of praying for the dead, for the repose of their eternal souls. Here we pray for King Richard III, ‘King of England and France and Lord of Ireland’ to use a title he ascribed to himself. This is a remarkable moment.

The prayer we offer for him this evening is the best prayer there is: the offering of the Holy Mass, the prayer of Jesus himself, made complete in the oblation of his body and blood on the altar of the cross, present here for us on this altar. This is the summit of all prayer, for it is made in and through the one person, the eternal Word, through whom all created beings have life. It is a prayer that arises from the very core of creation, the cry of the Word returning to the Father and carrying within it the totality of that creation, marred and broken in its history, yet still longing for the completion for which it has been created. It is, therefore, such an important Catholic tradition to seek the celebration of Mass for the repose of the souls of those who have died, especially for each of our loved ones whose passing we mourn. Let us not forget or neglect this great gift.

During this week, Mass is being offered in many Catholic Churches for the repose of the soul of King Richard III. Rightly so. That is exactly what he would have wished, having himself set up at least one chantry chapel for Masses to be celebrated for the dead of both sides of the Battle of Towton in 1461. This was a most violent conflict, marking the defeat of Henry IV, a single day on which between 10-20,000 Lancastrians were killed and a stark demonstration of the tragedy of civil war. Prayers were indeed needed.

Surely we can be confident that, despite the haste and the violent confusion of the time, this same Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated by the Greyfriars for the repose of the soul of the defeated King at the time of his burial in their church here in Leicester in August 1485.

Indeed we know that Richard was a man of anxious devotion who kept and marked his own book of prayers and who must have attended Mass throughout his life. Remarkably we also know that this vestment that I wear this evening is recorded as belonging to the royal wardrobe of Richard III. We may reasonably speculate that Richard participated in the celebration of Mass at which this same vestment was being worn.

Richard was not a man of peace. The times in which he lived and the role into which he was born did not permit that. But now we pray for his eternal peace.

Richard was a man who sought to offer to his citizens justice through the rule of law. He brought in important changes to the administration of law, including the institution of the Court of Requests at which poor people could bring their grievances to law. He improved the conditions of bail, enabling people to defend their property in the period before trial and he ordered the translation into English of written laws and Statutes again to make them more widely available. His role and arbiter and judge appear strongly in contemporary records and he twice asserted, in one legal dispute, that ‘we intend, nor will none otherwise do at any time, but according to the King’s laws.’ His actions did not always match those words. But this evening we pray that the merciful judgement of our loving God is extended to him in every degree, for we know that it is only the gift of God’s mercy that protects us from the demands of God’s justice.

I am much relieved that this evening we are not required to come to any such judgement ourselves. Indeed the judgement of our fellow human being is only of passing consequence for we know how fickle that judgement can be. This we see most clearly as reflection continues on the dramatic years of the House of Tudor in both fiction and historical research: saints are recast as sinners and sinners can become saints. But that is not our business.

Ours is to beseech of our loving Father the embrace of his mercy for this our brother who lived and died so long ago but who through such strange circumstances is again at the centre of public attention and human judgment. We pray for him as a sinner, like every other person, even if his life was lived on a more spectacular scale and in a more public arena than most. Today then we seek not to assert the greatness of Kings but the greatness of God’s mercy towards them and towards us all.

Richard, we know was not the physically most handsome of men. We know he suffered a brutal death, suffering ten fierce blows to the head. We know that his body was subject to humiliation after death, paraded from the field of battle by being thrown naked over the back of a horse and there receiving further wounds from a hostile sword. But we also know that he had been baptised into the death of Christ and so received the promise that he would rise with Christ to new life.

The words of the Holy Gospel, then, invite our trust, not only for ourselves but for all who have departed this life with a trusting faith in God. We know that the Lord has gone to prepare a place, a home, for us. This promise of a heavenly home was made to Richard. In his day, a ruthless and violent age, especially in the upper reaches of society, a home certainly had to be a castle, strong, well-fortified and easily defended. Otherwise it provided no safety at all. But the home promised to us by the Lord is of a different nature. In it peace comes only through the victory of Jesus over the last of all enemies, death itself. Protection too is ensured by that victory which has dethroned the powers of evil once and for all, even though they are still to be found within the fashioning of every human endeavour. The entry to that heavenly home, its open gates and sweeping drive, the royal road of life, is none other than the person of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

This evening we pray that this promise of the Lord is indeed fulfilled. We offer this holy Mass that even while his remains are lying in the Cathedral nearby, his soul is united with God in the glory of heaven there to await the final resurrection of all things in Christ.

This was the hope he held in his heart. This is the hope we hold for ourselves and our loved ones too. We share this one hope and the faith and love which accompany it. In this grace we pray for this dead King and we pray that the kingship in Christ, given to us all, may truly guide our lives and make us builders of that eternal Kingdom here in our world today.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Leicester to pay their respect to King Richard III

Happy Commonwealth Day 2015

On the 9th March 1837 Melbourne was officially named Melbourne in honour of then British  Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.

And coincidentally this 9th March is also Commonwealth Day 2015.

Happy Commonwealth Day to everyone

 

Commonwealth Day Message from Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth

One simple lesson from history is that when people come together to talk, to exchange ideas and to develop common goals, wonderful things can happen. So many of the world's greatest technological and industrial achievements have begun as partnerships between families, countries, and even continents. But, as we are often reminded, the opposite can also be true. When common goals fall apart, so does the exchange of ideas. And if people no longer trust or understand each other, the talking will soon stop too.



In the Commonwealth we are a group of 53 nations of dramatically different sizes and climates. But over the years, drawing on our shared history, we have seen and acted upon the huge advantages of mutual cooperation and understanding, for the benefit of our countries and the people who live in them.

Not only are there tremendous rewards for this cooperation, but through dialogue we protect ourselves against the dangers that can so easily arise from a failure to talk or to see the other person's point of view.

Indeed, it seems to me that now, in the second decade of the twenty first century, what we share through being members of the Commonwealth is more important and worthy of protection than perhaps at any other time in the Commonwealth's existence. We are guardians of a precious flame, and it is our duty not only to keep it burning brightly but to keep it replenished for the decades ahead.

With this in mind, I think it apt that on this day we celebrate ‘A Young Commonwealth’ and all that it has to offer. As a concept that is unique in human history, the Commonwealth can only flourish if its ideas and ideals continue to be young and fresh and relevant to all generations.

Her Majesty addressing the Commonwealth

The youthfulness and vitality that motivate our collective endeavours were seen in abundance last year in Glasgow. They will be seen again in a few months’ time when Young Leaders from islands and continents gather to make new friendships and to work on exciting initiatives that can help to build a safer world for future generations. And last November in India, talented young scientists from universities and research institutes conferred with eminent professors and pioneers of discovery at the Commonwealth Science Conference where together they shared thoughts on insights and inventions that promise a more sustainable future.

These are stirring examples of what is meant by ‘A Young Commonwealth’. It is a globally diverse and inclusive community that opens up new possibilities for development through trust and encouragement. Commonwealth Day provides each of us, as members of this worldwide family, with a chance to recommit ourselves to upholding the values of the Commonwealth Charter.

It has the power to enrich us all, but, just as importantly in an uncertain world, it gives us a good reason to keep talking.

Elizabeth R.

The flags of all realms that recognise The Queen as their sovereign.

Hounding Tony Abbott

On his Twitter account Prof. David Flint wrote

The right wing commentariat's unwise over-reaction to Prince Philip's AK helped trigger the spill motion 

and added this cover photo

Meanwhile Prime Minister Tony Abbott is in New Zealand, where he addressed the Australia-New Zealand leadership forum in Auckland:

"It is great to be here, it is a sign of the strength of the Trans-Tasman relationship that so many people at the summit of business and indeed of government are here today. I’m delighted to acknowledge my friend and colleague the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, has spent much time here today and also with many of you over the last few days. We have Parliamentary Secretary Fletcher here as well and I should also acknowledge a former constituent of mine who left Australia to make good in New Zealand, a fellow called John Key. You have done quite well since you left my electorate, John.

"When you consider the relationship between Australia and New Zealand there are no two juridically separate entities anywhere in the world that are as close as our two countries. Yes, we are legally independent but we don’t feel like separate entities, we feel like family, not just distant cousins, we feel like close siblings. The problem with sibling relationships is that they can sometimes be taken for granted and the challenge for all of us is not to take the Australia-New Zealand relationship for granted just because Australians can get on a plane and come to New Zealand and Kiwis can get on a plane and come to Australia. That’s the challenge.

"I’ve got to say, John, that certainly since the advent of your government there has been a very great interest in New Zealand on the part of Australians. I think it would be fair to say that for the first time in many years – in recent years – the economic performance of New Zealand has been making Australians sit up and take notice. Any sense of superiority that might have been felt on one side of the Tasman certainly has been dispelled by the economic performance and indeed the governmental performance of New Zealand in recent times. I’m very conscious of the fact that over the last few years you have gradually taken the size of government from 35 per cent to 30 per cent of gross domestic product. A magnificent, practical demonstration in how to be a prime minister who doesn’t just believe in smaller government but delivers it and there are some lessons here for us in Australia.

"I’m conscious of the fact that while my Government has made a good start there is a way to go. I don’t want to underestimate just what good a start we have made. We’re releasing an intergenerational report in a week or so’s time and while the intergenerational report that we are releasing will reveal the ongoing budgetary challenge that Australia has, it will also demonstrate the progress that has been made in just 18 months.

"It’s not often that an Australian prime minister needs to stand before a New Zealand audience and trumpet Australia’s economic achievements, but you would allow me for a moment to do so and economic growth in Australia today is 2.7 per cent – not quite as good as yours, John but certainly a lot better than it was a year ago when it was just 1.9 per cent. Over the last 12 months, our export volumes are up seven per cent, our housing approvals are up nine per cent, consumer confidence is up, business formation is up, the number of new business registrations are at an all-time record high in Australia. All of this, in the end, feeds into economic growth which is the key to everyone’s success. ..."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key friendlier with each other than some of their parties colleagues with them.

King and Queen of Norway welcomed by Australia's Prime Minister

Visit by Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway

King Harald V of Norway and Prime Minister Tony Abbott

"I am pleased that Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway will visit Australia from 22 to 27 February 2015 at the invitation of the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd).

"Their Majesties will visit Canberra, Sydney and Perth, accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior government and business leaders.

"Australia and Norway share a warm relationship. Trade between our nations last year was worth over $1.2 billion.

"We both have strong oil, gas and mining sectors. Significant Norwegian companies have invested in Australia’s energy, metals and agriculture sectors.

"More than 23,000 Australians have Norwegian ancestry.

"I look forward to meeting Their Majesties during their visit to Australia and welcome the growing strength of the ties between our nations.

The King and Queen of Norway were welcomed to Australia at the Hyatt Hotel on Sunday night in the company of an acclaimed Norwegian choir, a war hero, and children in traditional dress.

King Harald V, who turned 78 on Saturday, was joined by Queen Sonja as the Norwegian vocals of the touring Kori I choir echoed through the atrium of the Yarralumla hotel.

Norwegian flags were raised on Commonwealth Avenue on Sunday afternoon to mark the arrival of the king and queen on their first official trip to Australia.

Their Majesties met Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek, the Leader and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Royal Australian Mint turns 50 today

Today the iconic Royal Australian Mint in Canberra is turning 50. Royal Australian Mint CEO Mr Ross MacDiarmid said the anniversary marked a significant time for what was a monumental occasion for Australia back in 1965 when the Mint was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, along with Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies and Federal Treasurer Harold Holt.

Prince Philip, who was bestowed an Australian knighthood on Australia Day 2015, had opened the new Royal Australian Mint on Monday, 22nd February 1965 by pressing the button which started the production run. The flow of 1.2 million coins a day built up stocks of the new decimal curency for release in February 1966. The Duke of Edinburgh kept a one cent piece (and no republican cried "robbery!)" which he had made. He was also given a presentation box containing the two, five and ten cent pieces struck at other mints

This 1 $ coin was issued in 2010 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Australian coinage.

“The Royal Australian Mint was purposefully built to make Australia’s new coinage in time for the introduction of decimal currency the following year,” said Mr MacDiarmid. “Over one billion coins had to be made and they unveiled not only a new system of currency, but also six new coin designs 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent coins showcasing Australian wildlife. Since that time the Royal Australian Mint has produced about 15 billion circulating coins, as well as circulating coins for other nations and millions of collectible coins."

To mark the golden anniversary, a golden (gold-plated) collectible coin has been produced and will be available for only 50 days from 21 February retailing for $20. The total number made matches the anniversary date - 22,265 and can be purchased from 21st February.

The limited edition, gold-plated collectible coin.

King Harald of Norway celebrates his 78th birthday in Australia

King Harald (r.) at a state banquet with Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

King Harald V of Norway can celebrate his 78th birthday on 21st February. And he is actually down under with Queen Sonja. The royal couple arrived in Canberra from Antarctica, where he was the first monarch to set foot on the continent.

The official state visit officially kicks off on Monday 23rd February. The King and Queen will be Australia until 27th February. The main purpose of King Harald and Queen Sonja’s Australia tour is to promote Norwegian economic and business interests in the country. During their trip, the couple will be visiting both Sydney and Perth besides Canberra.

Before flying to Australia The King has been visiting Queen Maud Land – a Norwegian dependency in the Antarctic. The King was paying a visit to the Troll research station, which is celebrating ten years of year-round operations.

King Harald has been given a close-up introduction to Norwegian research in the Antarctic, learned more about the management framework of this enormous area, and experienced some of the majestic scenery of the world’s coldest continent.

Part of the King’s visit took place at the Troll observatory, an air monitoring station operated by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research. Antarctica has the cleanest air in the world, yet the impact of emissions from other parts of the globe is felt here as well. The King and his entourage were given a presentation on the work being conducted at the observatory, where important climate measurements are taken.

“I think the children of today will be much wiser than we have been,” said the King following the visit, and he pointed out that we have much more knowledge and awareness now on which to build.

King Harald also visited the Troll Satellite Station, a ground station for polar orbiting satellites. Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSTAT) owns the station, which is located not far from the Troll research station. With a similar station at Svalbard, KSTAT can deliver up-to-date climate, environmental and meteorological data to the satellites’ owners.

Kong Harald på breisen i Antarktis.

The Norwegian research station in the Antarctic, located at Queen Maud Land, lies 1 270 meters above sea level and 235 kilometres from the coast. It was first established in 1989–1990, and in 2005 it was upgraded to year-round operations.

The Troll research station carries out meteorological observations and ultraviolet radiation monitoring, and serves as a field station for various programmes on glaciology, biology and physics. Much of the research conducted here revolves around various aspects of the climate and the impacts of climate change.

Special priority is given to minimising the environmental impact of activities at the Troll research station so as not to diminish the value of Antarctica as a reference point for climate research. For example, surplus heat is not released into the environment, but is used to melt snow and ice for use as drinking water and in the central heating system. Waste that cannot be treated in any other way is compressed and transported out of the Antarctic. Electric cars are used to reduce vehicular emissions at the station.

Upgrading the Troll research station to year-round operations expanded the opportunities to conduct research and environmental monitoring, and enhanced Norway’s presence in the Antarctic. 

King Harald also had the chance to experience some of the area’s majestic scenery during his visit. The Troll research station is located on the mountain known as “The Giant’s Seat”. The station is located 1 270 metres above sea level, while the highest peak on the continent is 2 370 metres above sea level. The climate at the Troll research station is more stable than along the coast, and has an annual mean temperature of about minus 25 degrees Celsius, which is considered a moderate temperature for the continent as a whole.

Following the visit to the Troll Satellite Station, the station crew took King Harald on an excursion into the landscape. Using a terrain vehicle, the team gave the King a tour of the area which included icebergs, snow formations and towering mountain peaks.

The only permanent animal life consists of small invertebrates that live under the rocks. Birdlife reaches a peak in the warmest time of the year, when the temperature may climb to about zero degrees Celsius. Large colonies of snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea)and Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica) have their breeding grounds in the Giant’s Seat, as does the South Polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki), which is considered to be the world’s southernmost bird.

Queen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land lies on the Antarctic continent at 20° West and 45° East, and is a Norwegian dependency. The area comprises one-sixth of the continent, and is almost seven times larger than Norway. It borders the British sector on the west and the Australian sector on the east.
Source: www.norskpolarinstitutt.no

Queen Maud Land was annexed by Norway on 14 January 1939, and was named after Norway’s Queen Maud, a daughter of King Edward VII, who had died the previous year. Norway’s claim on the area was based on the country’s whaling interests and research activity. Norway had been active in polar research since the 1800s, and while whaling was gradually discontinued, Norwegian research in the Antarctic carried on. The year-round Troll research station has given Norway a stronger presence than ever on the continent.

King Harald’s visit to Queen Maud Land marks the first time that a Norwegian King has visited Norway’s dependency in the Antarctic.

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II on the Copenhagen shooting

In connection with the weekend’s events, HM The Queen states the following:

It is with sorrow that I learn of the extent of the incidents of the last 24 hours. My thoughts go out to the killed film director and the young security guard from the Jewish community who became targets of the perpetrator’s acts. I send my deepest sympathy to the relatives and to the wounded police officers.

I wish to direct thanks to the police and the authorities for their quick and effective efforts.

It is important that we, in such a serious situation, stand together and uphold the values that Denmark is founded upon.

Published 15th February 2015

The Danish Film Institute stated that the 55-year-old man killed in a shooting at a free speech event in Copenhagen was documentary filmmaker Finn Noergaard. The institute's chief Henrik Bo Nielsen says he was shocked and angry to find out Noergaard was gunned down while attending a discussion on art and free speech.

Noergaard directed and produced documentaries for Danish television, including the 2004 "Boomerang boy" about an Australian boy's dreams to become a world boomerang champion and the 2008 "Le Le" about Vietnamese immigrants in Denmark.

The victim of the shooting at Copenhagen's main synagogue has been named as Dan Uzan, 37. He was guarding the celebration of a bat mitzvah at a Jewish community building near the synagogue when he was shot dead.

King and Queen of Tonga watched on as the first Tongan Cardinal was created

Newly-created Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga received the red three-cornered biretta hat from Pope Francis

Among the 20 new Church leaders that Pope Francis made members of the College of Cardinals on Saturday was Bishop Soane Patita Mafi from the Polynesian archipelago of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean. At just 53 years of age, he becomes the youngest member of the College of Cardinals, as well as the first man in the history of this young Church to receive this honour.

He heads a small scattered diocese in a population of about 106,000 people with Catholics making up just 15% but they are very active in the faith. Almost the whole nation is Christian, he said, with Methodists as the majority denomination. Tonga's royal family are also Wesleyan Methodists.

Cardinal Mafi tells Radio Vatican the story of how he met the King and Queen of Tonga for a regular New Year greeting on 1st January and learnt that they were planning a trip to Rome in February. When he heard the news that he had been appointed a member of the College of Cardinals, he realised that the consistory would take place during the same time as their visit, thus they were able to share in the joy and celebration for all the people of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Pope Francis received Their Majesties King Tupou VI of Tonga and Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho in an audience in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican Monday, 17th February 2015.

A statement released by the Vatican’s Press Office said:

His Majesty first expressed his satisfaction at the election of the first Cardinal from the Pacific archipelago, Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, underlining the enthusiasm of the population and the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and numerous Tongans at the Ordinary Public Consistory held on 14th February. During the cordial discussions, attention was paid to the recent political developments in the country and on a number of aspects of social and economic life, as well as the positive contribution of the Catholic Church in various areas of society. There was subsequently an exchange of opinions on the international situation, with particular reference to the insular States of the Pacific and the environmental problems that some of them are compelled to face.

Pope Francis meets Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho of Tonga

Tony Abbott: "Standing up for Australian values is something I have done all my life"

The republicans of all colours - but especially those from within his own Liberal Party - are out to get the Prime Minister. They portray Tony Abbott as their perfect scapegoat.

Prime Minister Abbott tried today to re-gain ground and spoke at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra.

He stressed:

2014 was a tumultuous year that’s reminded us to expect the unexpected.

Thirty eight Australians were shot out of the sky by Russian-backed rebels.

A death cult, claiming justification in Islam, is creating a new dark age over much of Syria and Iraq.

And the terrorism it inspires has hit Melbourne and Sydney.

It was an anxious year for our well-being, as well as for our security. ...

In troubled times, people expect more of government, not less – and we have to deliver.

That’s why a government with the plan and the will to strengthen our economy and to protect our nation is so important.

This government is more determined than ever to make the changes our country needs.

This government will deliver Australia’s economic future because only a Coalition government can.

As Liberals and Nationals, sound economic management is in our DNA.

We’ve done it before and we are doing it again.

More than ever, in troubled times, government has to protect our people and stand up for Australian values.

This government would hardly have taken the political risks it has without the conviction that some change is absolutely unavoidable if our country is to flourish.

To create more jobs and more opportunities for families, we simply have to build a stronger economy.

A stronger economy is the foundation of a stronger Australia.

And if the economy is stronger, everyone’s life is better.

A stronger economy helps everyone who’s doing it tough:

parents wrestling with school fees and health costs;
small business people anxious to keep their staff;
seniors whose superannuation has to fund their retirement;
volunteers wondering if they can still afford to serve the community; and
young people looking for their first job and their first home.

Building a stronger economy is the fairest thing we can do because it means more jobs, higher wages, and more government revenue to pay for the services we need.

During 2015, our priority will be creating more jobs; easing the pressure on families; building roads; strengthening national security; and promoting more opportunity for all – with a new families policy and a new small business and jobs policy.

But we need to be candid about the challenges we face.

The drift of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years cannot continue.

Standing still on reform means going backwards on living standards.

Just a few years back, under the Howard government, we were quite literally the envy of the world.

In 2007, we had a strong and sustainable budget with a $20 billion surplus and $50 billion in the bank.

After six years of Labor, the deficit had blown out to $50 billion and gross debt was skyrocketing towards $667 billion.

Under Labor, government was spending too much; borrowing too much; and paying out too much dead money in interest alone.

We can’t wait for a crisis – like Europe – to address this problem because the solutions then will be much worse than the solutions today.

Our problem is not that taxes are too low; our problem is that government spending is too high.

We are writing cheques that our children and grandchildren will have to meet through higher taxes, higher interest rates and poorer services.

Right now, we’re borrowing $1 billion a month just to pay the interest on debt that the former Labor government ran up.

That’s right – one thousand million every month to pay Labor’s interest bill – that’s a brand new tertiary hospital that could be built every single month if Labor’s interest bill did not have to be paid.

And without structural change, within a decade, we’d be borrowing $3 billion a month just to pay the interest on Commonwealth debt.

So – let’s spend the money we have to on the things we really need; and let’s borrow where we must, to invest judiciously in a stronger Australia for the future – but let’s stop borrowing just to meet the ordinary expenses of government.

Reducing the deficit means that interest rates will stay lower.

Reducing the deficit means that taxes can be cut.

Reducing the deficit means more confidence in the economy.

And reducing the deficit is the fair thing to do – because it ends the intergenerational theft against our children and grandchildren.

We’ve never been a country that’s ripped off future generations to pay for today.

And under my government, we never will.

On election night, I declared that Australia was under new management and once more open for business.

Since then, new projects worth over $1 trillion have received environmental approval.

The carbon tax is gone – so every household, on average, is $550 a year better off.

The mining tax is gone – so Australia once more is seen as a good place to invest.

Big new road projects are now getting underway to overcome commuter gridlock – and the new Western Sydney Airport is finally to be built after 50 years of indecision. ...

Today, despite headwinds overseas, the economy is stronger, the budget is improving and the jobs market has strengthened.

Jobs growth in 2014 was triple the rate in 2013 – with 4,000 new jobs a week.

New housing approvals are at record levels.

The registration of new companies is the highest on record.

Economic growth is now 2.7 per cent, up from 1.9 per cent a year ago.

Petrol prices are nearing 15 year lows, home loan interest rates are low and stable, and the September quarter had the biggest fall in power prices on record.

But I’m not here to defend the past – I’m here to explain the future.

People are sick of Australian citizens – including people born and bred here – making excuses for Islamist fanatics in the Middle East and their imitators here in Australia.

It’s not good enough just to boost the police and security agencies, which we’ve done – by restoring the millions ripped out by Labor – and to improve data retention, which we’re doing.

We have to tackle the people and the organisations that justify terrorism and act as its recruiting agents – such as Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

We have already made it an offence to advocate terrorism and made it easier to ban terrorist organisations.

If cracking down on Hizb-ut-Tahrir and others who nurture extremism in our suburbs means further legislation, we will bring it on and I will demand that the Labor Party call it for Australia.

The police and the security agencies have told me that they need access to telecommunications data to deal with a range of crime, from child abuse to terrorism, and – as far as I am concerned – they should always have the laws, money and support they need to keep Australia safe.

And with the world still feeling the global financial crisis, people are anxious about our economic sovereignty.

I am a friend of foreign investment but it has to come on our terms and for our benefit.

The government will shortly put in place better scrutiny and reporting of foreign purchases of agricultural land and better enforcement of the rules against foreign purchases of existing homes so that young people are not priced out of the market.

These laws were not legally enforced by the former Labor government – not once.

This year, the government’s budget focus will be on strengthening the economy.

Because we have done much of the hard work already, we won’t need to protect the Commonwealth budget at the expense of the household budget.

As the intergenerational report will show, more is needed to put the budget on a credible path to a sustainable surplus – but as New Zealand has demonstrated, a good way to achieve this is not to make any unnecessary new spending commitments.

We will always be looking for ways to make government more efficient and to crack down on waste.

Governments should never spend more than they must because every dollar government spends is a dollar you don’t spend, now or in the future.

So any new spending will strictly be directed to making the economy stronger so that long-term revenue increases. ...

I hope that 2015 will see a more honest national conversation between all of us with Australia’s best interests at heart.

I want this year’s white paper process – on reforming the federation and on tax – to demonstrate Australians’ potential for change for the better rather than just politics as usual.

Finding ways to make every level of government more efficient, more effective and more accountable is in every Australian’s best interest and shouldn’t be an excuse for cheap shots.

Everyone who wants members of parliament to lift their game has an interest in governments taking more responsibility for the services they provide, instead of passing the buck.

We will also be inviting constructive debate across the political spectrum on all options for a better tax system to deliver taxes that are lower, simpler and fairer.

Unlike previous debates, we won’t pre-empt the outcome by ruling things in or out before the process has properly begun.

I do assure you, though, that this government wants to be remembered for cutting the overall tax burden, not for increasing it – for abolishing existing taxes, rather than imposing new ones.

As for the GST – it can’t and it won’t change unless all the states and territories agree.

It can’t and won’t change unless there is political consensus.

That means – leaving aside any minor administrative changes – that the base and the rate of the GST won’t change this term or next unless it’s supported by the likes of Bill Shorten and the Labor premiers.

Both white paper processes will be open and constructive: stakeholders will be consulted, submissions will be published; any hearings will be open, and the states will have senior representatives on steering committees.

Everyone who wants a say will have one – and the people will have the last word at the ballot box.

Sooner or later, all responsible members of Parliament have to put the long term national interest ahead of their short term political interest and there’s no better time to start than now.

So far, this government – and only this government – has had the courage to tackle the deficit, to protect our borders, and to build a stronger and more prosperous economy.

As I said so many times before the election, we will end the waste, stop the boats, scrap the unnecessary new taxes and build the roads of the 21st century. ...

You elected us to make the decisions needed so that everyone who works hard gets ahead, aspiration is rewarded, and our children can look forward to more opportunities than we had.

You elected us to keep you safe and, with every fibre of my being, I am focussed on our national security challenges here and overseas.

Standing up for Australian values is something I have done all my life.

Leadership is about making the right decisions for our country’s future.

It isn’t a popularity contest.

It’s about results; it’s about determination; and it’s about you.

Australia deserves the stable government that you elected us to be just 16 months ago.

You deserve budget repair, no return of the carbon tax, no restart of people smuggling, and no in-fighting.

We promised that we would do our best to keep you safe.

We promised you hope, reward and opportunity.


That’s what the Abbott government is working to deliver for you.

Get the priorities right

Question on Twitter:
Why was it right making #PrincePhilipAK an Australian knight? Because he couldn't care less about a storm in a teacup.

That can't be said about many voices in Australia, eagerly reproduced in Australia. They love to bash Prince Philip and first and foremost the one who asked Her Majesty to grant a knighthood to The Duke: Prime Minister Tony Abbott. They are out to get his head.

All because of a minor event.

No matter what goes on in the world, the Australian media heat up the fire of the anti-Tony campaign.

Is the Grexit looming in Greece? With consequences for the financial world - and every one of us? May be, but what's that against a juicy knighthood story?

Continuing violence in the Middle East, thousands killed every day. And ISIL killed another Japanese hostage/ Oh please, let us get rid of our PM because of bestowing an honour.

War in Eastern Ukraine? The Australian public isn't concerned about that because they are preoccupied with Tony Abbott and Australia's honour system. 

There's something wrong with the priorities in Australia.

Sir Angus Houston praises Prince Philip: "I am a great admirer of the Duke of Edinburgh."

On yesterday's Australia Day it was announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, had appointed former Defence Force Chief Angus Houston a Knight of the Order of Australia. In an interview with the ABC Sir Angus tells Joe O’Brien how surprised and humbled he feels by the honour.

Sir Angus also praises the other recipient of Australia's highest honour, HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh: "I am a great admirer of the Duke of Edinburgh. I think the Duke of Edinburgh scheme is one that has probably been more successful than any other schemes in recent years in terms of  helping the development of young people. A lot of the things the Duke has been involved in for many many years demonstrate an incredible commitment by him in terms of causes that not only effect the British people, but also effect the people of the Commonwealth. And I hold him in very deep respect for the decades of service that he has given the UK and the Commonwealth."

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!

The Queen's message to the people of South Australia and Victoria

Prince Philip and I send our sincere thanks and appreciation to the hundreds of firefighters and community volunteers who have risked their lives to contain the bushfires in South Australia and Victoria.

Our thoughts are with the families who have lost their homes and personal possessions in the fires.

I commend the courage and fortitude of the men and women who continue to assist with the emergency operations and those who are providing support to the people who are directly affected.

Elizabeth R.

Je suis Charlie

The horrible events in Paris don't need further comments. The cartoons and photos that made Charlie Hebdo famous speak for themselves.

The cartoonists Charb and cabu are among those killed in Paris.

The answer is EVERYWHERE. You have no chance to win. NONE.

The ducks will always fly higher than guns.

Monseigneur le comte de Paris apporte son soutien aux familles des victimes de Charlie Hebdo

Aujourd'hui dès 12h30, le chef de la Maison royale de France, Monseigneur le comte de Paris, a exprimé son soutien aux familles des victimes de Charlie Hebdo et condamné la barbarie intolérable de cette attaque via son compte Twitter.

« C'est phénoménal »

The sky over Brussels was in mourning. The funeral of Queen Fabiola of Belgium was a sad event for the country, but the rainy, windy and over-all wintry weather added to the « tristesse  » as the French would call it. Only a few thousand Belgians lined the streets and gathered in front of the churches Saints Michel et Gudule and Notre-Dame de Laeken to farewell the Spanish-born noblewoman Doña Fabiola Fernanda Maria de las Victorias Antonia Adelaïda de Mora y Aragón who had been their Queen for 33 years. With her husband, the late King Baudouin of the Belgians, whom she had married on 15th December 1960 in one of the first internationally live broadcast royal weddings, she became a symbol of the Belgian unity. When King Baudouin died of a heart attack on 31st July 1993, she insisted on not wearing black, but white. She stuck out at the funeral procession through the streets of Brussels.

This Friday not only Belgian nationals, Spaniards or other Europeans paid their respect. From all over the world members of royal families flew to Brussels to assist in the religious service. Japan's Empress Michiko, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Prince Moulay Rachid El Alaoui of Morocco, King Mohammed VI's brother, and Sweden's Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, where among the guests. King Harald V and his sister Princess Astrid came from Norway. Princess Sirindhorn flew in from Thailand and sat next to Princess Beatrix, the former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia from Spain joined the congregation singing a Spanish hymn. Prince Vittorio Emmanuele, Prince of Naples, whose mother was a sister of King Leopold III of the Belgians, sat next to Dom Duarte of Portugal, Duke of Bragança. France was represented by Prince Eudes of Orléans, the youngest son of the Count of Paris. The Habsburg family were represented by the head of the Imperial House, Archduke Karl, and other members who found refuge in Belgium, first and foremost Archduke Lorenz who is married to Princess Astrid of Belgium, sister of King Philippe I. Luxemburg's Grand Ducal family came from the neighbouring country, including 90 year old Grand Duke Jean in a wheel chair. At some stage Duke Michael of Württemberg was visible, but this wasn't confirmed by the commentator, the well-known French journalist Stéphane Bern who was at RTL-Belgium giving very useful explanations. He knew the members of Kuwait's and Qatar's royal family and could name the members of the important noble families of Belgium, like the Prince de Ligne.

In this list of royal guests one house is missing: Windsor. Her Majesty did not send a member of the British Royal Family, but had asked her ambassador in Brussels, H.E. Alison Rose, to represent her at the funeral service. The Belgians were not amused about being snubbed: L'absence de la famille royale britannique énerve les réseaux sociaux.

None of the members of the Belgian Royal Family were missing. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde led the mourners and were visibly grief stricken. And so were their children, the hereditary Princess Elisabeth, her brother Prince Gabriel and the two youngest, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore. King Albert II, who had abdicated last year, and his wife Queen Paola looked shaken. And so was Prince Laurent, their youngest son, who had been in hospital for a couple of weeks this year. But even he had to smile, when a Spanish choir, La chorale hispanique de Vilvorde (a suburb of Brussels), sang "Salve Rociera”. Even King Juan Carlos joined in and the members of Queen Fabiola's Spanish family sang this traditional funeral song.



The body of the late Queen Fabiola was interred in the royal crypt at the church Notre-Dame de Laeken. Before she was finally laid to rest, two members of her household paid their respect to their old "patronne" (boss). It was a lovely and moving good-bye from two of her closest collaborators. The congregation had to smile, when the marshal of her household repeated her favourite gesture (raising to joined hands) and her favourite phrase for praise: C'est phénoménal!

This is how Her Majesty always will be remembered: A lovely smiling lady. May she rest in peace!