Queen's visit leaves republic distant dream

SYDNEY - When Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives in Australia next week, protocol says she should be addressed as Queen of Australia - something that will grate with republicans who want to sever ties with Britain and appoint an Australian president.

The royal tour, possibly the queen's last to Australia given her 85 years and the long distance from Buckingham Palace, will reignite debate on whether the nation should become a republic.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch its head of state who acts in predominately a ceremonial manner but has the power to approve the abolition of parliament, which happened in 1975 toppling the then government.

But republicans concede any debate will be short lived and their dream of an Australian republic and president will remain just that - for many years to come.

Time, politics and apathy have all conspired against Australia's republicans. And republicans know there is no appetite to put the issue back on the national agenda.

An opinion poll this week revealed support for the monarchy had risen to 55 percent of the population, while support for a republic was at its lowest level in 23 years at 34 percent. "Politicians on both sides say they believe in a republic, but none of them is confident of its electoral appeal to bring it forward," said Mike Keating, chairman of the Australian Republic Movement.

"It makes me feel personally, and the republican movement generally, a bit despondent about the state of Australian politics."

In contrast, Australia's monarchists, who defeated a national vote to become a republic in 1999, are giddy with excitement about Queen Elizabeth's 16th "Down Under" royal tour.

"The magic of monarchy still has a place and we saw that at the royal wedding and we will see it during the royal visit. There is great affection for the queen," said Professor David Flint, head of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.

After their 1999 defeat, republicans thought they were given a second chance when Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was elected in 2007, promising another plebiscite on a republic.

But Rudd was toppled in a 2010 party room coup by current Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and although a republican, she heads a minority government struggling to survive and has no desire to raise the divisive republican issue.

Gillard, like many republicans, now says Australia will not become a republic until Queen Elizabeth dies, such is the affection for the queen in Australia.

Keating says "it's essentially just putting the issue off", while monarchists say no future government would dare raise the issue in the wake of a royal funeral or coronation.

"It is completely off the public agenda," said Flint. "The republican politicians say they want a plebiscite. They won't get it."

If opinion polls are correct, then Gillard will be ousted at the next election in 2013 in favor of conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott, a staunch monarchist. If that is the case, the earliest republicans can expect another vote would be after the 2016 election, and only if a republican is prime minister.

Australians have fought alongside Britain in every major war, but there has always been an anti-British streak running through the country.

Gold miners staged the failed Eureka stockade rebellion against British taxation in 1854. During a royal visit in 1868, Queen Victoria's son, Prince Alfred, was shot in an assassination attempt as he picnicked on Bondi Beach.

Reuters

(China Daily 10/12/2011 page11)