‘Farewell to Oz’: cheeky new Republican campaign launches

Republicans have cheekily branded this week’s visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla a “farewell tour” as they attempt to reignite support for their cause.

A News Corp Australia online survey on October 13 revealed support for a republic* had fallen to just one in three Australians – a level far below that seen during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Of the more than 1000 Aussies who responded to the Pulse of Australia poll, 45 per cent said they did not support an Australian republic, and 22 per cent said they were unsure.

But with the King and Queen due to land in Sydney on Friday for a short tour before next week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, the Australian Republic Movement* (ARM) has debuted* a new campaign which they hope “resets the conversation about the future of the monarchy* in Australia”.

The campaign depicts* King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William as a fading rock band called Monarchy embarking* on their “Farewell Oz” tour. T-shirts, badges and social media videos have been created.

“Our aim is to reinvigorate* an optimistic* and positive public conversation about the monarchy in Australia today,” said ARM co-chair Esther Anatolitis.

“What happens when this big show comes to Australia, that Australians are paying for? Is this the way that our head of state should be presented to Australians?” she said.

Other republicans have indicated their intention to make some noise during the royal tour.

Former ARM co-chair Craig Foster said he would be raising the republican issue, which he described as “one of the most important conversations we’ll ever have”.

Last week the former Socceroos captain revealed he had declined an invitation from NSW Premier Chris Minns to attend a barbecue with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

“Thanks … but no thanks,” Foster posted. “I look forward to being ‘in the presence’ (of) our first Aussie head of state. When we put our big pants on, as a country.”

The CEO of British organisation Republic*, Graham Smith, is also in Australia and has promised to protest the Royal visit – a move criticised by the Australian Monarchist League*.

The organisation’s national chairman Philip Benwell described Mr Smith’s actions as “clear foreign interference”.

“The British have no right to interfere in the way we are governed under the Australian Constitution and Crown,” Mr Benwell said. “This is a matter for the Australian people, not the British, and it is these British protesters who should go back to Britain and leave us to our own affairs.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• republic: a country without a king or queen, usually governed by elected representatives of the people and a president
• Australian Republic Movement: the peak body lobbying on behalf of Australians who are in favour an Australian republic, with an Australian as our head of state
• debuted: launched, introduced, appeared for the first time
• monarchy: a country with a king or queen, with a political system in which supreme authority is held by an individual ruler who is the head of state
• depicts: portrays, shows, pictures represents something in an image or story
• embarking: beginning, starting, commencing, undertaking
• reinvigorate: putting vitality and vigour back into something or someone
• optimistic: hoping or believing that good things will happen in the future
• Republic: a British organisation in favour of abolishing the monarchy in favour of a republic
• Australian Monarchist League: a voluntary association that promotes Australia remaining a constitutional monarchy with the British king or queen as Australia’s head of state

EXTRA READING

Australia’s system of government

Barbados breaks from Britain and becomes republic

King Charles dumped from our $5 note

QUICK QUIZ

1. What proportion of survey respondents are in favour of Australia becoming a republic?
2. How many readers took part in the Pulse of Australia online poll?
3. What percentage were not in favour of a republic?
4. What percentage was undecided?
5. How does the New Australian Republic Movement campaign depict the King, Queen and Prince William?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Republic or monarchy
This Kids News article highlights an ongoing debate among Australians as to whether we should become a republic (where we have our own Australian head of state, likely a president) or remain part of the Commonwealth where the British king and/or queen is our head of state.

Work with a partner and write the pros and cons of being part of the Commonwealth.
Australia as a Commonwealth country:
PROS

CONS

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, HASS, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
When the King and Queen visit Australia, it’s the taxpayers who pay all the expenses of hosting them.

What are some of these expenses?

List them below and an approximate cost of the trip.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Mathematics, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
To sum it up
After reading the article, use your comprehension skills to summarise in a maximum of three sentences what the article is about.

Think about:

What is the main topic or idea?

What is an important or interesting fact?

Who was involved (people or places)?

Use your VCOP skills to re-read your summary to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.