Republican Prime Minister seduced by His Majesty

At Balmoral Castle, Anthony Albanese was all Smiles

On the weekend the Prime Minister and his fiancee visited His Majesty King Charles III in Scotland for lunch, a tour of the grounds of Balmoral and an extended discussion on world affairs and bilateral relations. Unsurprisingly, talk of a republic was sidelined in the face of His Majesty’s natural charm and, no doubt, the Prime Minister’s disastrous Voice referendum. The Prime Minister stated that there would be no referendum in the foreseeable future.

The visit appeared to solidify support for the monarchy… at least for now.

Recently in the U.K., there is growing outrage over illegal immigration across the channel, many from Muslim countries. On social media, there are signs of discontent about the King’s comments embracing Islam in the recent past. Some are asking if he should step aside in favour of is his son, Prince William. Of course this is grist to the mill for U.K. republicans. However unlikely abolition of the monarchy is in the U.K., it is worth noting that Australia doesn’t have any sort of back up plan.

Whenever the monarchy versus republic issue is brought up, it’s always characterized as either ‘inevitable’ or ‘why fix it when it’s not broken?’ What pervades this unimaginative perception is the assumption that monarchy is old hat and democracy is modern. Occasionally, but rarely, the merits of the argument is dissected in more detail.  However, few Australians find an opportunity to discuss those details.  Next Monday provides a chance to talk all things royal.

If we’re not careful, we could end up with a dull, Irish style republic. We need to be a little bit more imaginative.

King’s Birthday

The King’s birthday is a public holiday in Australia. Here in Queensland, it’s next Monday. It’s a great Australian tradition to use the long weekend to head off to the beach or go camping. Few people do anything related to the royal family, reflecting the sense of disconnect that has developed, not just with the monarchy, but with our sense of national identity.

Thanks to the March for Australia, nationalism is making something of a comeback. The King’s birthday is an ideal opportunity to discuss our Head of State arrangements. There is a lot to learn and the more informed we are, the better equipped we are to comment.

Having done considerable research on Australian Constitutional Monarchy, I have discovered a way forward that fosters bipartisanship, debate and explores various paths toward either an elected Head or an inherited Head of State within the existing constitutional framework. (See Candidates and Contenders.)

This Monday, my King’s Birthday BBQ party will include a Royal Commission inquiring into our Head of State arrangements! It’s a fun quiz that you are welcome to copy, share and use at your own event. The winner is crowned King or Queen of Australia. If there are several winners, hold a plebiscite to make a choice.