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Don’t wait until the Queen dies to become a republic

By Mike Keating and David Donovan - posted Tuesday, 5 October 2010


But wait, there’s more. It is also practically the wrong course to pursue. The cold hard fact of life, and death, is that we are not going to somehow automatically become a republic the day after Elizabeth dies or abdicates, even if we all agree it is desirable. We have no control over either of those alternatives and it is ridiculous (and actually a bit morbid) to wait for an event to happen over which we have no control before we do something about our own national future. In a sense, it is an affront to our sovereignty that we would even consider it.

In an even more practical vein, when Queen Elizabeth does die or abdicate we are not going to start the process to lead to a republic the next day. That would be touted as disrespectful and, certainly with her death, there will be months of official mourning and ceremonies before we start doing anything really meaningful on the republican front.

We need to start the process now - in the next term of Parliament - so that the facts have been presented, the preferences of the people sought and considered, and the required referendum held before either of the alternatives happens. That is, before her death or abdication.

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If PM Julia Gillard is serious about Queen Elizabeth being the last monarch, we must start now to make sure we get the process finished in time. Time and tide waits for no man, so they say, and neither will the Windsor clan. There will be a new monarch the minute Elizabeth dies or abdicates and we will have no say at all in whoever it may be.

The “wait until the Queen dies” argument is a convenient delaying tactic for the naturally apathetic and the historically timid among us. For our national pride, Elizabeth must be the final monarch of Australia. We owe it to ourselves and we have no time to spare.

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First published in The Punch on October 4, 2010.



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About the Authors

Major General Mike Keating AO has been Chair of the Australian Republican Movement since 2006. He was born in Albury, NSW in 1945 and graduated from Duntroon Military College in 1967, being awarded the Sword of Honour. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and saw operational duty in South Vietnam. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in June 1994 and served in that rank as Commander 1st Division, Commander Training Command (Army) and Head, Strategic Command, Australian Defence Headquarters in 1999 and 2000 during the major ADF deployment to East Timor. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 1993 in recognition of his service as Commander 3rd Brigade and as an Officer in June 2000 for distinguished service to the ADF and to the Australian Army in high level command and staff appointments. Major General Mike Keating retired in January 2001 after 37 years service. He now lives in Brisbane and also works part-time as a mediator with the Queensland Department of Justice.

David Donovan, 40, is the editor of the online journal of Australian identity and democracy, www.independentaustralia.net, and a vice chair of the Australian Republican Movement.

Other articles by these Authors

All articles by Mike Keating
All articles by David Donovan

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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