A new poll conducted on May Fourth and Fifth by Roy Morgan has shown that support for an elected president stands at only 45% across Australia. Support for the Monarchy stands at 42% in general; more importantly than this, the generation of 14-17 year-olds show an amazing 64% support for the Monarchy.
The Poll question was:
"All Australians aged 14 and over were asked: “In your opinion, should Australia remain a MONARCHY — or become a REPUBLIC with an elected President?”
Naturally enough, the Republican movement has already started criticising Morgan and the poll. It is worth noting that Morgan is considered to have a rather left wing bias.
Most important of all is that as soon as you mention PRESIDENT or ELECTED PRESIDENT, it's all over before it even started.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is not our loyal elders or our fawning youth, it's the baby boomers. Get past that generation, and we're into more golden territory. The key question is: Can Her Majesty outlive the most selfish generation of our time?
ReplyDeleteWell, baby boomers are entering there mid 50s to early 60s now, and the chance of severe illness and death increases dramatically at 55. So I've been told anyway.
ReplyDeleteHer Majesty could live another twenty years, the numbers of baby boomers will be thinned. Even in ten years. Not that I am saying I hope people die young.
Also thank you to whomever embedded the links properly and added the picture to my post. I had intended to add a picture (of the Australian coat of arms) and polish it all up, but my internet is appalling at the moment. It took me half an hour just to get that little bit of text up on its own.
Very interesting. I had a conversation last year with Jason Kenney regarding the popularity of the monarchy and he told me that the Crown is most popular with younger Canadians and less so with the boomers. The Australian poll mirrors both what Mr. Kenney told me and also, if memory serves, the results of a recent poll conducted by Angus Reid.
ReplyDeleteBit of a red herring, but my understanding is that Kevin Rudd effectively made up his own oath of office (and naturally mad no refernce to his sovereign) when he was appointed PM.
ReplyDeleteGiven this wasn't the official (legal)oath of office:
a) Is Rudd technically the legal PM of Australia? If so,
b) Can any Australian government official substitue their own personal wording in their office's oath / affirmation?
Mac
Appologies, seems I went off half cocked. Seems that Australian ministers have been using an amended oath (with reference to the crown removed) for some time (about 2004).
ReplyDeleteSo now Australian politians swear loyalty to "the people" (whomever they are) and the australian commonwealth.
Mac