The gov general isn't going to buck the system we created. She just stamps the paper work.

The royals are meaningless in todays society when it comes to running the show.

StG,

I put it to you that the Royalty remained significant in Australia into the 1950s and even the 1960s. Remember the Coo-ee March of WWI? Standing-up in the picture theatre would be known to those still not retired. Womens Weeklies are especially very popular still when a Royal is photographed.

Our parlimentary position is as stated by Foxy. We are still tethered to the Anglo-centric past of the Old World. Yet, the Queen is tireless worker admired even by republicans like me. Why we remain a country, which could be called "OGB", "Once Great Britain", is because the (a) republicans (fortunately) hold their beliefs without much intensity and therefore happy to wait a decade or two and (b) the lack of a common republican model. Ultimately, the noble caste system will wane. The transition will be no worse, yet more appropriate to a multicultural New World Australia on the cusp of Asia.

The development of a comfortable middle class stands in opposition to to the tiered Peer & Commoner System. Royalty may have once had a purpose, but we have moved on. A free democratic republic is superior to a caste system.

sorry!
Do you know anything about Col Rouge?
In a thread he wrote "I full expect to expire in a massive heart attack"
I hope he is well.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Oliver ~ Can't disagree, but we're still responsible for our situation due to greed.

Antonios, Crouge is off topic ... but we all hope he hasn't carked it :-(