Why I Support Australian Republicanism

“A republic represents the ability for Australians to recognize formally what has been long known: that we are willing and capable of charting our own future released from the bonds of the past.”

It is time for Australia to embrace becoming a republic. Although Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that any republican conversations ought to be put on hold for the foreseeable future out of respect for Queen Elizabeth II’s life, it is possible to appreciate her impressive 70-year rule and her admirable stewardship of the British monarchy while also acknowledging that the monarchy is not necessary for the prosperity of Australia or Australians. We, as Australians, can acknowledge a strong historic connection to the Crown but, as other commonwealth nations also consider the republican path, that does not necessarily mean we must continue to be tethered to that part of our history.

The monarchy’s implied divine right to rule, apparent skirting of the law, and recent run-ins with free expression run counter to the kind of Australian society we ought to desire. Australia should be advancing rather than looking to the past. The recent passing of the Queen has highlighted that the pro-monarchy argument runs deeper; alongside deep affection for the person the Queen was, there is a more fundamental and sincerely-held belief that Australia is incapable of navigating the world without continuing to hold the hand of our English history. This belief is misguided, not least because since the 1960’s Australia’s primary ally, economically, militarily, and culturally has been the United States and not the United Kingdom.

The strongest argument in favor of the monarchy contends that, as a people, we require a sovereign to form the basis of a society. In other words, we need an unbreakable initial building block to form the anchor of society: something that a politically-appointed head of state cannot offer. Again, to subscribe to this argument is increasingly tempting when one reflects on the great life that was the Queen’s; however, moving forward, we do not need a King Charles III to chart the future direction of our country.