To coincide with the 30th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam government, politicians on a Sydney Council have forced through a motion to take down the portrait of The Queen and to replace it with artwork to honour Gough Whitlam.
The artwork is yet to be bought by the Council, the Ashfield Council. The decision was contested, according to a report, “Queen’s reign ends” in the Daily Telegraph on 11 November, 2005 by Mark Scala, the Telegraph’s urban affairs reporter. (Click below if you want to write to the Telegraph)
The affair was also discussed on a Sydney talkback radio station, 2GB.( Phone: (02) 8570 0000; Fax: (02) 8570 0219;OPENLINE/TALKBACK: Within NSW 131 873 (Local Call) Outside Australia +61 2 8514 9500)
Councillor Lance Dale proposed the move. Referring to Crown Princess Mary, he criticised his fellow Australians’ “unhealthy obsession with royalty”.
"We did it for Gough," he said. "The Queen’s portrait is a divisive image and holds little relevance for the community of Ashfield. It’s time to move forward and, if we can do our bit for a republic, that’s great.
“She doesn’t need to be sitting on the perch 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
He conceded that the portrait might be brought back out for special occasions. Councillor Dale contact details are PO BOX 1145 Ashfield NSW 1800 Ph/Fax (02) 9799 6098 0438 652 666 [email protected]
The Deputy Mayor, Nick Adams vigorously attacked the proposal, saying: "She’s our queen, whether we like it or not.
"I find it amazing at Ashfield council we fight to preserve houses that are 60 to 80 years old but we’re working to dismiss more than 200 years of history."
Councillor Adams may be contacted care of PO BOX 1145 Ashfield NSW 1800 Ph 0408 629 333 PO BOX 1145
Councillor Adams was supported by Concillor Mark Bonanno, who said the decision was petty. He added that there were concerns about what art would replace the Queen.
The notorious Blue Poles perhaps?
The Mayor, Councillor Rae Jones supported the decision. He claimed that no disrespect was intended to the monarchy.
"In the Republican Referendum it was clear a majority of Australians did not want a monarchy," he said.
The Mayor did not explain how he came to this conclusion. After all the referendum recorded a landslide decision against the republic designed by and chosen by the republican movement itself, the Keating- Turnbull republic.
Then he is reported as saying "Many Australians today do not feel any more allegiance to our British heritage than the British feel toward us."
The Mayor’s contact details are: 57 Henson Street Summer Hill NSW 2130 Ph (02) 9799 8335
Councillor Adams and Councillor Bonnano are to be congratulated for respecting th epeople’s decision, and for fighting so vigorously against this insult to the Crown and the people.
The Queen remains our Sovereign, a position she has held for more than half the life of our nation.
She has performed her functions impeccably, as Gough Whitlam himself acknowledges. She is not paid, and will receive no taxpayer funded superannuation.
She does not deserve this shabby treatment.
ACM is maintaining a record of all acts of creeping republicanism undertaken by politicians, at the taxpayers and ratepayers expense, in clear defiance of the people’s very clear decision in 1999.
These will be placed on a register which will soon be published on this site.
Taxpayers and ratepayers will be reminded of these decisions, and how our paid politicians spend our time and our money.
Vandalism by republican politicians will have its own reward.
Until next time,
David Flint