Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The magic we would lose by removing the Australian Crown

By David Flint - posted Friday, 24 January 2003


To return to my point - yes, we can remove the Crown. But either we replace it with an institution of equal dimension and equally above politics, or we design a new constitutional system for the states and the federation.

Obviously we should not replace the Crown with another politician. Nor can you replace the Governor-General with a functionary whose tenure depends on a prime ministerial whim. Nor, I suspect can you replace the Crown with a clever contraption or device - a moving feast of former Governors-General and Chief Justices. So after a good decade of debating and campaigning, a failed referendum and millions of dollars of taxpayers funds, republicans ought to concede that finding a substitute for the Crown is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

They are left with the difficult task of proposing a completely new constitution. Now there is one republican model which is tried and tested. It involves having three political institutions, the executive, the congress and the Supreme Court locked in perpetual adversarial combat - the American system. It wasn't intended to be like that but, the civil war excepted, it does work. Unfortunately, only in the United States. But it might possibly work on the soil of another country in which English, the rule of law, the common law and parliament are as entrenched as in the American colonies.

Advertisement

Without a general collapse of our institutions, and some terrible crisis, it is hard to see Australians wanting such a change.

One other factor came suddenly into the foreground in the Golden Jubilee year - what Bagehot called the "magic of monarchy".

Back in the referendum campaign, republicans tried to instruct the No case on how they should run their campaign.

They wanted to see the campaign dominated by a debate about the sovereign and her family. But as it was a constitutional referendum, so we ran it on constitutional issues. This was not to deny the magic of monarchy which became so obvious. So when Mike Carlton suggested in the Sydney Morning Herald that few would care about the Queen Mother's funeral except some bemused Japanese tourists, he had to eat his words. As did so many commentators here and Britain when the Commonwealth honoured their Queen on her Golden Jubilee.

Republicans are not immune, indeed they seem particularly affected by the magic of monarchy. If there is a royal occasion in Australia, expect to be elbowed out of the way by republicans. It happened on Diana's last visit. And on the formal occasions for each of the Queen's visit to Australia, the receptions have been filled with eager republicans.

We may certainly dispense with the magic of monarchy. It is after all but a bonus - and not the essence. And we may even remove the Crown from our constitution - if we know what we are doing and have something as good - or better to replace it.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

This article was sent to The Age on 2 September 2002 but was not published.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

David Flint is a former chairman of the Australian Press Council and the Australian Broadcasting Authority, is author of The Twilight of the Elites, and Malice in Media Land, published by Freedom Publishing. His latest monograph is Her Majesty at 80: Impeccable Service in an Indispensable Office, Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, Sydney, 2006

Other articles by this Author

All articles by David Flint
Related Links
Australian Republican Movement
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Photo of David Flint
Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Latest from Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
 The formidable Fred Nile prevails: premier concedes
 Prorogue then intimidate
 The ‘Utegate’ affair and the constitution
 ETS: emissions trading scheme or energy tax swindle?
 Information and media manipulation par excellence
 More...
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy