Hawke Argues For Relevance of Constitutional Monarchy
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, will travel to Canberra tomorrow to meet with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, as part of her 10 day visit to Australia.
Mr Hawke, who has been a long-standing supporter of a constitutional monarchy, says that this is certainly a moment to remember.
“The Queen and the importance of her office to our Westminster-style of parliamentary democracy both have my utmost support,” Mr Hawke said.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second has reigned for 59 years and is widely regarded as one of the most successful monarchs and Heads of State in history. She deserves our respect and thanks, a message I hope to convey in person on behalf of the people of Mitchell.
“It is a privilege and an honour to meet such an esteemed Head of State. I have made three oaths to the Queen in my life, once as an army officer, once when I became a Member of Parliament and once as a Justice of the Peace.
Alex Hawke was a strong advocate for the ‘NO’ campaign during the 1999 referendum on the question of becoming a republic, and has been a long-time supporter of the monarch as Australia’s Head of State.
Mr Hawke believes that recent polling on this issue, including a Roy Morgan poll issued last week showing support for the monarchy at its highest since 1991, is a testament to how important that ‘NO’ campaign was.
“A recent poll shows that over 55 percent of Australians are in favour of keeping the monarchy, with just 34 percent supporting a republic,” Mr Hawke said. “Levels of support are just as strong with Australians aged 14-17, which shows that Australians of all ages support the Queen and all that she stands for.”
“Australia is referred to as ‘the lucky country’ by many around the world, but it is more than just luck. Our stable and successful model of government, whatever its weaknesses, has always been an source of envy for other governments around the world. Our ability to uphold traditions and stable government through the constitutional monarchy plays a major part in the way we are viewed by other nations,” Alex Hawke concluded.