July 28

Monarchists Will Cheer, Republicans Will Be Sad, Declares Malcolm Turnbull

The ABC has posted the text of the interview on The Insiders on Sunday, 24 July 2005, which we reported earlier this week.

We described Mr Turnbull as pessimistic about the success of republicanism.

The relevant parts of the interview follow:-

BARRIE CASSIDY: I’ve just got one question wearing your former hat, one question on the Republic before we go.

What is the most relevant factor – is it the reign of the current Queen or the reign of the current PM?

MALCOLM TURNBULL: To be honest, I think it’s the reign of the current Queen.

I know people talk about John Howard as a very committed monarchist and if and when he ceases to be PM, things would change.

I said in 99 when the referendum was on that a ‘no’ vote means no for a long time and I said then that I thought it would be unlikely that there would be enough of a sense of a mood for change until the reign of the Queen came to an end.

And so whether monarchists will cheer at this, Republicans will be sad.

But the fact is – be it sad or happy – is that the next obvious time for this issue to be on the front burner is not when there’s a change in PM, but when there is a change in monarch, because then people will sit back and say, "OK, there’s been a change in the environment, a change in the monarch, let’s reconsider this issue. "

They may do that. My crystal ball is cloudier than most, but that’s the view I expressed six years ago and it’s the view – nothing’s changed in the interim to cause me to have a different view.

BARRIE CASSIDY: It could be a long way down the track. She seems to be a very healthy person.

MALCOLM TURNBULL: She may outlive all of us Barrie.

…….. Well may we say:

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

Until next time,
David Flint


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