STATE OF DISARRAY
 
What a joke. Even our Prime Minister doesn’t know who our Head of State is. Is it the Queen? Or is it the Governor General, Quentin Bryce? The monarchists, from David Flint to Tony Abbott, have been knocking the republicans’ arguments  for years on the grounds that we don’t need an Australian Head of State. We already have one. The Governor General.

They claim they are constitutionally correct. I have always argued that the  G-G is NOT the Australian Head of State. Merely the Queen’s Representative – despite all the pomp and ceremony at Yarralumla.
 
For a while there Prime Minister Rudd, a fair weather Republican, seemed to side with the David Flint and the Flintstones.
 
When Quentin Bryce made that expensive, and much-criticised, trip to Africa last year the PM said: ‘ A visit to Africa of this scale  by Australia’s Head of State will express the seriousness of Australia’s commitment to heightened political and diplomatic engagement’. No doubt there.
 
The person who went to Africa was Quentin Bryce. Not Her Maj.
 
Now it seems there are two claimants to the title. And it’s all because of a cable sent to all and sundry from our Ambassador to the UN, Gary Quinlan.
 
He proudly announces: ‘United National: General Assembly – Address by Australian Head of State’.  And, no, Ms. Bryce is not off to New York on another excursion.
 
He’s talking about Queen Elizabeth who will make her first speech to the UN in more than 50 years. The last was in 1957.
 
And Mr. Quinlan should know. He’s a former adviser on foreign affairs in the Prime Minister’s own office.
 
Asked by The Australian to ‘please explain’ Prime Minister Rudd jumped horses. He said yesterday: ‘Australia’s Head of State is HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor-General HE Ms Quentin Bryce AC’.
 
Has he told Quentin she’s had a demotion since the African foray?
 
And where does this leave the Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy and Tony Abbott et al? Shows you how stupid it all is and how long overdue we are for a republic.
 
Friday, February 12, 2010

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2010