Len Liddelow says the monarchy has vastly different meanings for Australia and the UK.
The Monarchy and the way it applies to, and works for, Australia is light years away from the way it works and what it means to the UK.
In the UK, it is a living breathing and essentially integral part of Britain and much of what it stands for. Its history is bound up and becomes British history. Its presence is there daily for all to see, enjoy and be part of. The pomp and pageantry that surrounds and embraces the establishment is not only a source of ongoing joy and strength for those who live there but is also an significant source of tourist income that benefits the country as a whole. If the majority of Australian Republicans were British subjects living in Britain, the chances are that many might be monarchists, vehemently defending the status quo.
But this is Australia and there is absolutely no comparison between the British scenario and the Australian version of the Monarchy. The Monarchy as it applies to Australia has no influence or meaning in the daily lives of Australians, it is simply a hangover of a political system that has evolved to a point where it is more than ready to take the final step and remove the monarch as our Head of State and replace her with our own Australian Head of State who acts solely for Australian interests and objectives. The Australian monarchy brings in no tourist income or any pageantry. To many it could be compared to the Holy Ghost, a mythical scenario that is hard to contemplate, not really needed, but may be out there somewhere.
It is increasingly a source of amazement to many that monarchists here defend their Queen with such vehemence that they are almost paranoid. If not, they are certainly dinosaurs, rooted in the past and unable to cope with changing times and progress. If our forefathers had the same retrogressive thinking, Australia would never have advanced to become the stable democratic country it is today. It is fair to say that some monarchists could be compared to the very worst Governors ever appointed to the colony of New South Wales, who attempted to keep this country back with their backwoods thinking and unflinching ideas about British rule.
