Shipping to Australia Blog

As hordes of people continue moving to Australia it is becoming less obvious to them what model of government will be presiding over the country. This question came more into focus as Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her opponent for the prime minister’s office, Tony Abbott, expressed their differing views on the subject yesterday.

Ms. Gillard made a bold statement explaining that she is behind Australia becoming a republic. However, she made it clear that she only favors the changeover once Queen Elizabeth is no longer in power. Said Ms. Gillard:

“I am obviously a republican. I believe that this nation should be a republic. I also believe that this nation has got a deep affection for Queen Elizabeth. What I would like to see as the prime minister is that we work our way through to an agreement on a republic. But I think the appropriate time for this nation to be a republic will be when we see the monarch change.”

She qualified her statement by saying that she wishes Queen Elizabeth only health and happiness.

In contrast, Mr. Abbott stated that he does not see Australia moving to a republic anytime soon. Said Mr. Abbott:

“While there may very well be further episodes of republicanism in this country, I am far from certain that, at least in our lifetimes, there’s likely to be any significant change.”

While the focus of the result of this debate has been (rightfully) on the current citizens of Australia it is becoming increasingly clear that those considering moving to Australia need to be factored in. The dictionary defines republic as “a  state  in  which  the  supreme  power  rests  in  the  body  of  citizens  entitled  to  vote  and  is  exercised  by  representatives  chosen  directly  or  indirectly  by  them.” The stakes are obviously high. Potential immigrants coming in from other countries are going to be weighing the impact of Australia’s (possibly) new model of government with especially intense scrutiny. Do they want a republic? Do they want things to stay the same? Those moving to Australia are crucial members of the country’s future and the candidates for Prime Minister would do well to heavily consider their wants and desires of future political regimes.

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