If Australia were to become a republic, we would not be cutting links with Great Britain. That has already happened, and Australia is a fully independent sovereign nation. Tiresome clichés about mothers and apron strings miss the point. Our monarchy is not the monarchy of Great Britain; it is the monarchy of Australia, comprised of the Queen and the Governor-General. To become a republic Australia would not have to sever ties with the British monarchy, it would have to abolish the Australian monarchy. For some Australians, there is no doubt still a deep affinity with Great Britain, but for me the affinity is with the Queen as Queen of Australia. For as long as I can remember, the Queen has always been there as part of our lives. When the Queen last visited in 2012, at a reception at Parliament House, Canberra, the nation’s capital, the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that:
many heads of state and government are welcomed within these walls. But in this, the home of Australian democracy, you are a vital constitutional part, not a guest. Just as in this nation you can only ever be welcomed as a beloved and respected friend.
I thought that nicely described the place the Queen has in the hearts of many Australians. Mr Abbott, then Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, also gave a fine speech that evening, pointing out that while
eleven Prime Ministers, and no less than seventeen opposition leaders, have come and gone, for sixty years you have been a presence in our national story, and given the vagaries of public life, I’m confident that this will not be the final tally of politicians you have outlasted.
How true, it’s now fourteen Prime Ministers and nineteen opposition leaders. Anyway, republicans have yet to come up with any reasons to convince me that a change is needed.
The rhetoric of republicans tends to make me laugh, with its ever so serious indignation at the shocking iniquity of monarchy, and the sickly sweet sentimentality of dashed childhood dreams. No young Australian can aspire to be our head of state? What an intolerable disgrace! Republicans also strike me as having an inordinate interest in what other countries think about us. Is it a lack of self-confidence, or an arrogant belief that Australia is a far more important country than it actually is? I don’t know. But, quite frankly, I don’t care if someone in Ecuador thinks Australia is still a British colony.
Then there’s sport. Prince Harry supported the English rhythmic gymnastics team in an epic battle against Australia! How can we bear the shame? Well, we can send the Governor-General along to support our team if we want. Australia is an Asian country, we are told. After several trips to China since 1993, as well as Japan, Thailand and Cambodia, I get the impression Asia may not see it that way. Finally, the great republican trump card: Democracy. They seem to take it for granted that monarchy and democracy are not compatible. But according to the World Democracy Ranking of 2014, six of the top ten most democratic nations in the world are monarchies, with the Kingdom of Norway at the top of the list. Australia is twelfth; pretty good out of a list of 112 nations, so I don’t think our monarchy is an impediment to democratic government.
No, none of these issues strike me as important enough to ditch our constitutional monarchy. I would much rather stick with our interesting, quirky arrangement, with its lingering glamour of royalty, than trade it in for the dull grey tones of generic republicanism.
Yes indeed, we have other pressing matters to be sure!
