The Daily Telegraph ran the following letter from me on 14 March, 2006 on the deliberate and infantile snub with which the NSW government greeted The Queen. We hear many government MP’s were embarassed but a factional deal had been done. The Socialist Left faction insisted on this in return for their co-operation on some other unrelated matter. Certain of the crossbenchers went along with this.
We ommitted four names in our report. This has been corrected on the site, the four missing names being the tellers for the ayes Mr. Primrose, Government Whip and mover of the bill in the Upper House and Mr. West, Deputy Government Whip. The tellers for the Noes were Mr. Harwin, Opposition Whip and Mr.Colless,Deputy Opposition Whip. My apologies for this error.
"Sir,
It is difficult to think of a more studied act of rudeness than that of the NSW government in rushing through a supposed private member’s bill to abolish their Oath of Allegiance, just as The Queen is about to arrive.
One politician actually admitted in Parliament that he had committed perjury -a serious crime.
After the studied snub not to play the Australian Royal Anthem at the Commonwealth Games, according to Australian law and practice established by the Hawke government, the good name of this country will be damaged by the international media reports of this appalling rudeness.
If the republican politicians were honest in swearing the new pledge to the people, they would do two things. Hold a referendum on this, and grant us the legal right to recall them for an early election whenever we wished , an arrangement which applies in other countries.
Surely they would be prepared to face the people on this matter, and in an election whenever the people wish?"