Julia Gillard’s recent comment on a Republic should send shivers down the spines of all loyal Australians.
SHE CLAIMS a change to drag this country screaming into the realms of constitutional reality is not on people’s minds.
Funny, that Julia.
It’s certainly on the minds of every State premier, every opposition leader (with the exception of Tony Abbott who is in the thrall of troglodytes like George Pell and David Flint), most States Governors and even the Governor General herself sees “the eventual inevitability “of an Australian republic.
If our Prime Minister doesn’t soon take her reality pills, she will bear the indignity of being coupled with Australia’s most reviled Prime Minister, John Howard.
He hijacked the last referendum and was branded, quite correctly, as “the man who broke Australia’s heart”.
Mainstream Australia is begging for the sacking of Britain’s royal family from our psyche – the current indignity was sheeted home a few weeks ago when Queen Elizabeth, the queen of Australia, addressed the United Nations General Assembly and the word “Australia” wasn’t uttered once.
Malcolm Turnbull remarked that we should hold on until the Queen dies.
Longevity is a hallmark of the Saxe Coburg Gotha’s and Her Majesty’s maternal family.
It is obvious that Prince Charles and Prince William are unsuitable for the job as Australian head of state; even if they wanted the job which seems highly unlikely.
It is degrading that no Australian is considered suitable for this country’s top job.
It is degrading to hold that office one has to be an Anglican.
It is degrading that to cap it all off, one has to be a legitimate Protestant descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover.
It is degrading that the status quo isn’t changed.
Come on Julia, get real.
(Barry Everingham is an internationally renowned writer and broadcaster, having worked for many years as a foreign correspondent with News Limited, as well as being an MSNBC commentator in New York. He is now based in Melbourne. This article was written exclusively for Independent Australia.)
