Radical Royalist writes:
That must have cost The Sunday Age some tears: To admit that "more Australians [are] favouring retaining the monarchy" than to make Australia a republic.
"Despite some re-emerging political momentum for the republican cause, voters appear increasingly apathetic about the idea of replacing the Queen and governor-general with an Australia head of state, although many are prepared to accept a republic after Queen Elizabeth's reign ends.
An Age/Nielsen poll taken earlier this month shows support for a republic is now running at 44 per cent. This is the lowest level since 1994, and well down from the peak of 57 per cent in 1999, the year the question was tested in a national referendum.
The national poll of 1400 people found almost half (48 per cent) are now against the idea. Such a level of hostility has not been recorded since the late 1970s, when about 61 per cent were against a republic."
Republicans put all their hope in the Queen of Australia's death - as if the people would rush out in a referendum and kick out King Charles. Can you think of anything more "un-Australian" than to deny a newcomer a fair chance to show his talents? This idea shows that Australian republicanism is an implausible concept.
"When the present Queen dies" means "never", and is not remotely compatible with any principled anti-monarchist position.
It is a way of deferring the decision until after the spectacular, spontaneous global outpouring of affection to mark the Diamond Jubilee, which will cement the monarchy everywhere where it still exists, and further afield in various ways, for at least another hundred years.
If Australia were ever going to abolish the monarchy, then that would have happened by now. The age of decolonisation was a long time ago, and Australia stopped being "an island halfway between England and Ireland" only slightly later than that.
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"When the present Queen dies" means "never"
ReplyDeleteDude, I know she's got good genes and top-notch health-care, but that's going a bit far.
You either believe in abolishing the monarchy, or you don't. Not upsetting the monarch because she is old, or a lady, or well-liked personally, or whatever, has nothing to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAustralia's anti-monarchist moment, if there ever was one, has visibly passed. Otherwise, Gillard et al would not be saying "only when the present Queen dies". And all of this is before the Diamond Jubilee.
Of course the Irish did not take advantage of the death of George V and the subsequent abdication crisis to scrap all vestiges of the monarchy-----
ReplyDeleteWhat respectable Ozzie bloke wants to be ruled by a bloke who wants to be a tampax.
(Lindsay hits delete button in rage---)
Most of them, it seems. Dredging up Royal stories from that long ago rather proves my point. They have been through all of that, and have emerged triumphantly on the other side. Quite how triumphantly will be apparent in 2012. Insofar as it is not already.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Irish, in anticipation of next year's State Visit, at least one branch of Fianna Fail - that's right, Fianna Fail - is funding both itself and its local hurling team by raffling tickets to meet the figure whom publicity for this initiative calls simply "the Queen".