22 January, 2010

Australia

Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, has an article in the Times, broadly to the effect that however charming Prince William may be, they still want a republic. And good for them: I am quite unable to understand why such a vibrant country would want as its head of state an octogenarian aristocrat living thousands of miles away.

Turnbull says the best time for another referendum on becoming a republic would be at the end of the Queen's reign. What with this and other stories about the Royal Family recently I might almost suspect we are being groomed for the Queen's retirement on her 60th anniversary, in 2012.

But Turnbull makes a point worth thinking about: with Britain being incorporated into the EU, in fact Australia is a more independent nation than the 'mother country'.

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