Serious Sunday Social Comment: The death of a Prince, the birth of a Republic conversation.

Long live the Prince. Condolences to the Royal family.

Like them or not, the Royals have been a part of the Australian story since white people first came here.

As a child I knew who they were and loved hearing stories about them. In my middle childhood, my father, Officer in Charge of Small Ships in PNG, saw them ashore in Port Moresby and sat with them as Royal speeches were delivered. He then entertained the Officers of the Britannia at our home.

When I lived in London, I frequented the palaces for sightseeing and voyeurisms.

We have built a culture and an industry around Royal watching. But does that mean we need them?

Is Australia ready, and able, to become a Republic: to sever the umbilical cord back to the mother country?

A republic is a form of government in which "power is held by the people and their elected representatives". In republics, the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers. Wikipedia

Are you a monarchist, a republican, a zealot or an analytical thinker? 

Some people are die hard monarchists - zealots to the history, pomp and ceremony. Some are die hard republicans, who are zealot to the honour of Australia and her ability to govern. Many Australian are "Elizabethans;" we have respect for the Queen but after her death perhaps then the republican debate needs to go to referendum again. 

Each make interesting points...and that is where analytical thinking comes in. Are you now thinking about what will happen to Australia once the Queen dies - what YOU will do with YOUR vote?

My view is that we need to start seriously thinking through our views. The aged Queen has not much time left as our Head of State and the conversation of a Republic for Australia will be happening behind closed doors.

Few people that I talk with are interested in politics. They say they have no voice, that nothing will change and that politicians are a mob of self-serving hypocrites. 

While Shakespeare himself would have delighted in the tragedy, comedy and histories of Parliament House over the last few weeks, we, the audience are the ones who get to decide whether we want the clowns running the show.

But, how can we make that decision without being informed on the political system and how OUR voice does matter, whether we be a monarchist or a republican.

I am firmly of the view that we cannot run a system down, nor support it, unless we have been willing to do something about the system.

WE are the system of government so therefore we need to look at us...individually and what's in our dash.

The Republican definition above says, 

In republics, the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers. 

Monarchist or Republican, it is time to get public about what we will and won't tolerate, be that around macro issues of Government structure or micro issues of Domestic Violence.

It is time to start thinking about YOUR stance once the Queen dies.

It is time to find your brain and then connect it to your voice. 

What's in your dash? What will be said about YOU at your funeral? I know that at mine people will say that I considered both sides of an argument and took a balanced view rather than a zealot's one.

That's my serious Sunday social comment on the topic - what's yours?