PM says Australia should drop British monarchy
Source: Agencies |
August 18, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA should drop its ties to the British monarchy after Queen Elizabeth II's reign, the prime minister said yesterday, raising the contentious issue of a republic just days before tightly contested national elections.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, whose center-left Labor Party has long held that the country should dump the British monarch as its head of state and become a republic, said Australians have "deep affection" for Queen Elizabeth II but that she should be Australia's final monarch.
"What I would like to see as prime minister is that we work our way through to an agreement on a model for the republic," she said. "I think the appropriate time for this nation to move to be a republic is when we see the monarch change. Obviously I'm hoping for Queen Elizabeth that she lives a long and happy life, and having watched her mother I think there's every chance that she will."
The queen is 84 years old, and her mother lived to age 101.
Many Australians are British immigrants or descendants who feel strong loyalty to Britain and the queen, but younger Australians view the idea of a foreign royal being the country's highest power as anachronistic.
The British monarch is Australia's head of state, and its representative, the governor general, swears in the government and signs legislation into law. Australian coins bear the queen's profile. Governing power, however, resides with the elected government.
Many members of the opposition Liberal Party are monarchists, and its leader, Tony Abbot, said he sees no need to change the status quo.
"I think that our existing constitutional arrangements have worked well in the past and I see no reason whatsoever why they can't continue to work well in the future," Abbott told the National Press Club.
"So while there may very well be future episodes of republicanism in this country, I am far from certain, at least in our lifetimes, that there is likely to be any significant change."
Gillard's party wants to replace the governor general with a president.
Replacing the monarchy with a president elected by Parliament was voted down in a 1999 referendum.
Some critics accused then-Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch monarchist, of ensuring victory for the "no" side by including the method of the president's election in the question. Many republicans wanted the president chosen by popular vote instead of by Parliament.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, whose center-left Labor Party has long held that the country should dump the British monarch as its head of state and become a republic, said Australians have "deep affection" for Queen Elizabeth II but that she should be Australia's final monarch.
"What I would like to see as prime minister is that we work our way through to an agreement on a model for the republic," she said. "I think the appropriate time for this nation to move to be a republic is when we see the monarch change. Obviously I'm hoping for Queen Elizabeth that she lives a long and happy life, and having watched her mother I think there's every chance that she will."
The queen is 84 years old, and her mother lived to age 101.
Many Australians are British immigrants or descendants who feel strong loyalty to Britain and the queen, but younger Australians view the idea of a foreign royal being the country's highest power as anachronistic.
The British monarch is Australia's head of state, and its representative, the governor general, swears in the government and signs legislation into law. Australian coins bear the queen's profile. Governing power, however, resides with the elected government.
Many members of the opposition Liberal Party are monarchists, and its leader, Tony Abbot, said he sees no need to change the status quo.
"I think that our existing constitutional arrangements have worked well in the past and I see no reason whatsoever why they can't continue to work well in the future," Abbott told the National Press Club.
"So while there may very well be future episodes of republicanism in this country, I am far from certain, at least in our lifetimes, that there is likely to be any significant change."
Gillard's party wants to replace the governor general with a president.
Replacing the monarchy with a president elected by Parliament was voted down in a 1999 referendum.
Some critics accused then-Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch monarchist, of ensuring victory for the "no" side by including the method of the president's election in the question. Many republicans wanted the president chosen by popular vote instead of by Parliament.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
