Keating, Australia’s prime minister from 1991 to 1996, said the Australian Republican Movement wanted him to re-enter the fray after the death of Queen Elizabeth in early September but he wasn’t motivated to resume his public advocacy.
“Why would you? We fluffed it,” Keating said on Wednesday. “If Australians have so little pride in themselves, so little pride that they are happy to be represented by the monarch of Great Britain, why would somebody like me want to shift their miserable view of themselves?”
I grew up with QE2 as HOS, KC3 is OK by me, but an Australian born HOS would be more appropriate.
Most people think its going to be easy, and they can have a popularly elected HOS.
It would require so many changes to the constitution and open up future political power struggles between the PM/government and the HOS. A single popularly elected person can claim he / she is more representative of the people than the PM
I am for an OZ HOS, elected by a joint sitting , with limited powers: ceremonial and resolve impasses like denial of supply.
Put up some kind of popularly elected potentially omnipotent HOS and I am agin it.
I get the impression that Charles and Camilla don’t want to replicate the roles of Elizabeth and Phil as the Monarch and Consort.
That Golden State Coach is reportedly tough on old bones.
In their seventies, the age when most citizens wind down. A month at Balmoral won’t be enough to recharge their batteries.
In a parliamentary democracy, its just essential for a politically independent HOS to be able to call an election. ( Leave aside the majorly flawed US system. Just don’t go there )
Perhaps more to the point, do they want to travel all over the globe to the commonwealth countries to prop up whats left of the commonwealth? No, even cold, damp, drafty Balmoral would be better than that.
I suspect KC3 might want to exit the Commonwealth gracefully, rather than visit those places and be heckled by Republican agitators wherever he goes in public.
I love Paul Keating and always have…to me, he was one of the few genuine politicians and one of the last (if not the last) statesmanlike politicians.
When he stood up in parliament, you knew there was a chance of something interesting about to happen.
What politician gives that impression these days?
This paragraph from the article(about him being asked to re-enter the fray to become a republic) is just so like him…and so on point:
“Why would you? We fluffed it,” Keating said on Wednesday. “If Australians have so little pride in themselves, so little pride that they are happy to be represented by the monarch of Great Britain, why would somebody like me want to shift their miserable view of themselves?”
It does make sure the Executive ticks off all the legal boxes in the GG signing off legislation and membership of treaties.
The Exec has to provide a brief to the GG showing they have ticked all the boxes. They are therefore accountable and AFAIK the briefs are not automatically FOI exempt or exempt from tabling in Parliament if such request were to be put to a vote.
So, the role of the GG ( who is also Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces) is a bit more than ‘Where do I sign?’
Had the Australian Head of state come to pass 20 years ago, and it was down to the last 2 candidates; Bob Hawke vs Keating for the honour of the first Australian President, Hawke would have won in a landslide.
Kate and Wills were taken aback by their reception in the Caribbean Commonwealth
They could get much the same in the African and Indo Pacific , except for CANZ descendants of the Empire.
Plus, they are pretty boring. Harry and Meghan seem much more fun.
The only ex pm worth their salt is J Gillard. Ironically quickly one of the most polarising during her time in power.
The rest are a stain and a drain on the public. Goes for both sides of politics.
Just my humble opinion. Go away Paul you deadweight. The Bankstown long left you buddy boy.
I’d bring back Jules, reckon she would be SO much better received the second time around, wouldn’t cop the ■■■■ and knock it out of the park if she could ever be convinced.
Of course he would have…which just proves Keating’s disdain is accurate.
Bob Hawke was the popular, beer drinking mate to us all. He was a figurehead. He was the one who told employers that they would be bums if they sacked anyone who took the day off after the America’s Cup win…Mr Popularity in person.
So he would have won a such a vote as the average voter cannot see past the 30 second sound bite.
I don’t want any more leaders of religious faith or former military Chiefs as GG.
Angus Houston was good, but he had a moral compass ( role in exposing the Children Overboard lie).