In the lead-up to the last election, we wondered what would become of arch-conservative Liberal senator Eric Abetz now that he’d been bumped down to third place on the Tasmanian Senate ticket and running what turned out to be an unsuccessful “vote below the line” campaign.
The election was the end of a tumultuous year for the senator, where power seemed to leak from his right faction, so long dominant in the state.
So we were delighted to see the announcement that the Australian Monarchist League has hired him as chairman to lead the campaign against Australia becoming a republic.
Our favourite detail? The preemptive annoyance at media bias that hasn’t happened yet:
We request that whenever the Hon Matt Thistlewaite, Assistant Minister for the Republic, Mr Peter FitzSimons or any government official is interviewed Mr Abetz be provided with equal time to adequately respond.
It’s only fair. Crikey also requests that any time FitzSimons is interviewed that we are given equal or greater airtime in response.
Abetz chairing and speaking for the Australian Monarchist League is the biggest boost for the cause of Australian republicans in years. Republicans must hope he gets as much as air time as possible.
My feeling too. That’s just advanced Australia becoming a Republic by at least a decade. 😉
A pointless job for a pointless man.
I think the true Monarchist sees Australia as English, not British. This colony is not prone to wearing kilts and eating haggis. Nor is it given to dancing Irish jigs after too many Guinnesses, or bursting into song and stealing roast beef like the Welsh. No, monarchists like Erica see us as a proud meat and two veg nation, sharing bathwater, and showing off our malformed teeth at any opportunity. Oh, for the days of yore, when kiddies saluted the Union Jack and sang God Save the Queen. Mustn’t grumble, luv.
A certain type of “…true Monarchist sees Australia as English, not British..” which is exceedingly odd.
The demographics at Federation may have been half English (if one includes traitorous, deracinated lowland Scots) but far more than a third were Irish, the vast majority virulently anti English.
It is a mystery why the New England region is so called when one considers the preponderance of Scottish & Irish place names.
A certain type of “…true Monarchist sees Australia as English, not British..” which is exceedingly odd.
The demographics at Federation may have been half English (if one includes deracinated lowland Scots) but far more than a third were Irish, the vast majority virulently anti English.
It is a mystery why the New England region is so called when one considers the preponderance of Scottish & Irish place names.
Frank, yes. Your “teeth” comment reminded me of Freddie Mercury’s being asked why he never had his teeth fixed.
He replied that he didn’t want to stand out from the rest of the British population….(and Eric).
Eric was born in Stuttgart, Germany. The current bunch of royals’ ancestors were Hanovarians. An interesting coincidence.
Give him a monocle and he’s Colonel Klink. And just as silly.
Abetz is likely to join Abbott in running a DECEITFUL campaign against the Voice just like against the “politicians” republic. Mendacity and sophistry is their stock in trade.