The new Australian government distances itself from the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen’s 70th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the future of the former British colony, cabinet minister Matt Thistlethwaite told Britain’s PA news agency.
With the end of Elizabeth’s reign, it was time for some serious debate. “Australia is an independent country. We have our own unique identity and culture,” said Thistlethwaite. All Australians should have the opportunity to become heads of state.
Queen formal head of state
As in many other Commonwealth member states, the Queen is formally the head of state in Australia. The appointment of Thistlethwaite as Assistant Minister of the Republic has raised suspicions that Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to hold a referendum on the issue. In a referendum in 1999, a majority (55 percent) of Australians voted to keep the monarchy.
“Australian Head of State”
“My job in the initial phase is a kind of education – to explain to people that we have a foreign monarch as head of state, that we have a deputy representative to the governor general, but we could have an Australian head of state,” Thistlethwaite said. However, there is still a long way to go before a referendum is held, with reports that the Labor government plans to hold such a vote only in the event of re-election.
Prime Minister Albanian paid tribute to the Queen in a ceremony on Saturday, naming an island in Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin Reservoir Queen Elizabeth II Island. The Queen has visited Canberra 14 times during her reign.
Australia isn’t the only Commonwealth country flirting with changing its constitution. On November 30, 2021, the island state of Barbados in the Caribbean became a republic and criticism of the royal family is also growing in other countries in the region. During a trip to the Caribbean by Prince William and Duchess Kate, there were repeated protests.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
