Monday, June 09, 2008

Australian PM Rudd' s "unabashed" dimension

According to Nick Bryant, Australia's PM Kevin Rudd (left) is actually "an unabashed republican" and "a monarch-less Australia" has been on the official platform of the Labor Party in Down Under since 1991.

Last 'god-king' to live as citizen of a republic

5 Comments:

Blogger Monsterball said...

In what PRACTICAL, EFFECTIVE way does being a monarchy (indirectly through a Governor-General) make Australia less democratic ?

I haven't yet seen a convincing argument from the ALP and Kevin Rudd.

I emphasise the word Practical & Effective because the common republican objections to paying respect to a hereditary monarch is more of an emotive and personal issue.

I also don't discount the bad blood the ALP has against the GG's role in the dismissal of Labour PM Gough Whitlam after he attempted to rule with a blocked Supply Bill.

To me that was a specific Constitutional dillemma, and there is no guarantee a civilian President would not have come to the same decision, not an indictment of the monarchy itself.

2:37 AM  
Blogger James Wong Wing-On said...

Do you know why there is actually no public holiday in UK for Queen's birthday but there is on in Down Under ?

3:08 AM  
Blogger James Wong Wing-On said...

ERRATA: " ... birthday but there is one (NOT 'on': it's a typo) in Down Under ?

7:03 AM  
Blogger Monsterball said...

The Queen's (or King's) Birthday in UK has for a long time been celebrated on a Saturday in June. When the UK officially went to a 5-day work week years ago, no replacement public holiday was declared.

Government servants get a replacement off day, but the private sector in UK generally does not practice replacements for a Saturday PH.

8:13 AM  
Blogger James Wong Wing-On said...

thank you for the information.

8:27 AM  

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