You’re right but it is hardly a pressing issue now is it?
We lost the golden opportunity in the 1980s when Bob Hawke was PM and when there was a definite taste for change, it failed to materialise all because of Diana’s visit, if Charlie had come without her I am convinced we would be a republic now.
John Howard killed it off by offering a referendum on choices even the most ardent republican couldn’t accept. Since then interest has just died and currently there seems to be no one pushing for a republic at all, I would say, like the flag debate, it is furthest from anyone’s mind, The Voice and the Treaty are well ahead of a republic and they are not going to happen any time soon, the government seems to have abandoned even the Makarrata Commission
That is exactly right. As I have tried to say a republic and the constitutional monarchy are a totally separate and unrelated issue to Senator Thorpe’s outburst
Yes i agree. Issue has fallen on to the back burner and i think i am typical of many people who as per my last post wouldnt mind at all if we were no longer under the monarchy but arent bothered or passionate enough to do anything about it.
That however is a different issue to indiginous rights which of course are Lydia’s priority and something she does feel passionately about.
An enduring affection for the monarchy, keeps the Australian monarchy alive.
Becoming a republic carries no implication of leaving the commonwealth, India is still a member.
You can understand Senator Thorpe’s anger, she vigorously opposed the referendum for The Voice to Parliament campaigning for a Treaty (as the Maoris have in NZ).
I should say that personally I supported The Voice but am not in favour of a Treaty but the referendum failed so badly that there is no chance of a treaty being even considered for a very long time.
In hindsight it should have been called off before it went to a vote, it was probably doomed from when the Coalition decided to support the “No” case but someone must have known it was going to fail really badly.
The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Linda Burney was useless leading the Yes case, having all the charisma of a cabbage, it needed someone like Noel Pearson or even the Coalition exMinister Wyatt (?) to lead the “Yes” case if it was to stand any chance of succeeding or even coming close.
The referendum was defeated even before the polls closed in WA, it failed in every state and territory except the ACT. It was a debacle really, it left indigenous Australians in a state of shock and the Uluru Statement from the Heart in tatters.
As I alluded to earlier the government has gone very quiet on the Makarrata Commission which also seems to have faded into the background. It is a very sad state of affairs for reconciliation.
I think what keeps the monarchy alive in Australia is not an enduring affection but an apathy and lack of passion about change therefore we by default keep the status quo
as your link showed there is still a movement to make Australia a republic - but most people aren’t bothered enough to push for change
If there were another referendum I think republic would win now - but there isnt going to be another one in foreseeable future because majority of people cant be bothered enough to make it happen
I suppose if it wern’t for us English Australians would still be speaking in their native Aboriginal tongue. Now that is worth a thought.
Our Australian members on here we would not understand , come to think of it do we anyway?
Nobody owns anything in this world, we are all just briefly passengers and the strong, smart, or wealthy can take away what you have in an instant, including lands. The indigenous have no rights to be represented in government, they don’t own Australia, they just lived there. You could say that the current population of Australia are now the indigenous. Open the door to awarding reparations and we should be asking the Vikings or Romans for reparations.
No you couldnt - that isnt what the word means.
Although I will remember that definition when people talk about the indiginous people of Britain - that they mean everyone who lives there now.
I think Aboriginal people do have the right to be represented in our government and I do support land rights being returned to Aboriginal people - like has already been done in many parts of Australia.
If you look it up you will see there are criteria to this, it isnt about ‘owning Australia’
Actually they may not own Australia but they do own Britain. The country was claimed by Burnam Burnam on 26th January 1988 when he planted the Aboriginal flag on the White Cliffs of Dover and took possession of the land.
After claiming Britain for the aboriginal people of Australia he said, “It’s too bloody cold here, let’s go home”
You have been living on Aboriginal land for 36 years
Quote: Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced .
Ancestral ties, but not rights. Australia does not belong to them or anybody else. At the moment Australia is controlled by a government who would have to fight to maintain power from say…The Chinese if they decided to contest the ownership. The victors write the history.
No it doesn’t belong to anybody and if the Japanese had been successful during their campaign, it would now belong to them July. Fortunately the British, or descendents of them, remain in charge.
The PM Anthony Albanese is of Italian heritage .the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, Malaysian/Chinese, the Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, is of Slovenian heritage, Indigenous Australains Minister, Malarndirri Mccarthy, is Aboriginal. It is a very mixed bag.
