Aussie politicians promote republic prospect on their national day

Australian political leaders are making a joint call for their country to become a republic as part of today’s Australia Day celebrations, in stark contrast to the lack of political will in New Zealand to address the issue.

All of Australia’s state and territory leaders, with the exception of West Australian Premier Colin Barnett, have signed a declaration calling for an Australian head of state to replace the British monarch.

The reluctance of Mr Barnett – a republican – to sign the letter is put down to the fact that it’s election year in his state, which has a large population of English migrants.

It’s been flagged that federal opposition leader Bill Shorten will use his Australia Day address to call out prime minister Malcolm Turnball for not prioritising the republican issue.

His speech will note that “for the first Australia Day in our history, the leaders of both major parties are avowed republicans,” and will promote the idea of working together “to seize this moment, to lead the movement for change,” as well as having a dig at Mr Turnball’s lack of action.

“If only we had a prime minister who wasn’t so afraid of his own political party that he would champion a cause he believes so strongly in,” the speech will say.

Although Mr Turnball is a former head of the Australian Republican Movement and he has recently confirmed his view on the issue remains unchanged, he has also said he doesn’t believe another referendum on becoming a republic will be held until the Queen’s reign ends.

When a referendum was held on the issue in 1999, 45% of those participating supported an Australian supplanting the monarch as the country’s head of state.

The failure to gain majority support for becoming a republic has been attributed by some commentators to the politically adroit maneuvering of then-prime minister (and monarchist) John Howard.

Yeah, nah – Kiwi politicians flag issue

On this side of the ditch, there’s not remotely the same enthusiasm for the issue among politicians.

While Prime Minister John Key has stopped short of saying New Zealand will become a republic over his dead body, he has said he doesn’t believe it will happen while he’s drawing breath.

"I don't think there's any chance New Zealand is going to become a republic any time soon,” Mr Key has said. “In fact, I would be amazed if New Zealand becomes a republic in my lifetime. And I'm hoping to live a long and happy life."

Mr Key believes that Australia will become a republic before this country.

Although he has previously stated he regards it as “inevitable” that New Zealand will eventually go the republican route, Mr Key believes the popularity of the younger members of the royal family is making that day increasingly distant.

Even Labour leader Andrew Little, who’s declared himself a republican, isn’t interested in leading a charge on the issue at the moment, citing a lack of appetite among New Zealanders to change the head of state. Like Mr Turnball, he believes the end of the Queen’s reign will be the appropriate time to debate becoming a republic.

Mr Key apparently suffers from no cognitive dissonance as a result of energetically advocating changing the national flag while hosing down discussion about becoming a republic, insisting they are two separate issue.

Some are unconvinced by that argument, however.

As NBR commenter, “Granulated Honey,” recently noted after an article about the New Year’s honours, “Can anyone see the irony, paradox and contradiction of the dichotomous John Key? On the one hand, he wants to change our pronounced British-inflected flag to replace it with one that gives this country a more unique, contemporary and relevant identity; and on the other, he reverts to type – deferential forelock-tugging, reminiscent of the English class system from a bygone era.

“I could never understand his rationale ... Oh wait, at some point he won't be the prime minister, and he'll hope to be conferred a prefix to his name to be reminded of his glory days.”

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