Some people say symbolism is unimportant-that it didn’t matter if they change the oaths and remove the portrait of The Queen? There may well be a sinister side to this.
On 20 July, Maralyn Parker revealed in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph that the Code of Conduct for public school teachers in New South Wales actually instructs them that they serve the government of the day!
Ms Parker does suggest, somewhat robustly, what teachers could do with the Code.
The point is surely that under the constitutional system we inherited, public servants,teachers and the police for example do NOT serve the government of the day,but the Crown, and therefore the people.
As do the judges.
This puts a sinister side to the Carr government’s attempts to downgrade the Crown, from expelling the Governor from Government House to removing the Oath of Allegiance. The people should be warned of this.
This may explain the indecent rush to raise the republican issue so soon after the referendum. So we sent the following to the Telegraph:
"Sir,
Public servants,including teachers and the police are ultimately employed by the Crown,acting as the trustee of the people, and not the government of the day. Maralyn Parker’s story(21 July) exposes the real reason for the creeping republicanism which seems to be the policy in NSW-the teachers,police and judges are to become the servants, not of the public, but of the politicians currently in power.
But as Ms. Parker tells the teachers, it is not too late to tell the government-"The hell we are!" Congratulations to Ms Parker for revealing this rort.
Yours etc"
Until next time,
David Flint