Queenies Called it Kaput

Admission of potential biases: I am not a supporter of the monarchy and had considered joining the ARM -which I have since decided against- before the writing of this piece.

A callous call cried through Australian tv and radio set waves, oscillating through a crisp 8th September morning, Queenie had gone kaput, due to severe allergies towards old age.

But, was the monarchy to share Miss Queenies grave in Australia?

Some seemed sad, shedding tears fatty and salty, on Queenies passing, others were indifferent and some even made plans to write an article in poor taste.

However, with Lizzy being a deady, it left the question, what would happen to the Monarchy?

Some men/women moaned about Charles, seemingly not in a weak kneed sorta way though. With a poll published by ABC in May showing 53% of participants were not very supportive of Charles as king. Yet, it seemed some people were slightly more taken with the new monarch, or at least indifferent, with a poll in September by the Roy Morgan SMS poll revealing that 66% of women and 54% of men favoured the crown over a republic.

While the long arm of the law may not be in reach, the long ARM (Australian Republican Movement) certainly was in reach of these political pissings.

Months before the monarch’s movement to the upstate farm in the sky, members of the Australian Republican Movement moaned for change, making mention of their new model.

The model proposed would bring about all sorts of political pinching, and of course squealing.

Depending on views.

The republic movement, real rapt by the rift in republicans’ ideas for what that republic would be realised as, proposed the Australian Choice Model. “The Australian Choice Model was developed through extensive consultation and research. It describes what changes need to be made to our Constitution so we can vote for our own Aussie Head of State. It is good policy and it’s achievable. It’s been carefully developed to align with the views of people like you - and will make our nation even stronger.” – ARM Website. Amongst many notable features of the proposed model seems the proposition to keep the position of the head of state, keeping it as more a ceremonial role.

With a seeming emphasis placed on the point of an Australian for head of state and allegedly some better-defined powers, which the ARM website did not go into detail about.

But not much else changing.

Apparently, the ARM has placed attention and a real craving for a model that would be appetizing to republicans, seemingly baking and breaking a political bread to unite them.

as opposed to focusing on other parts of the change in political society.

Although this may excite republicans who want to see an Australian head of state, this could potentially come at the cost of losing support from republicans who find a ceremonial head of state redundant. The ARM has continued to push for the implementation of a republic, if their claims that this model is more widely supported within the republic movement, and with the demise of Miss Queeny, it begs the question, is Australia’s dependency on the Monarchy going to follow suite soon?