Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Perth obviously has not been listening to this debate. It is easy to stand up and say we should replace the system. How do we have a vote? Should it be voted on? Should the people be denied a vote on who the head of state is? This is the downfall of the republican movement. They simply fail to fully articulate what they actually propose.

Getting back to our Westminster system, our constitutional monarchy has served this country well for over 100 years. If I look throughout the world at the different types of governments available, we are so fortunate here in this country. We are very lucky. If we look at all those countries in the Middle East struggling to come to terms with some type of democracy, what better system could they have than a Westminster constitutional system?

I will finish with a quote which I think sums up why there is simply no case for change. It was in a letter from DGO Hughes to the Daily Telegraph on 1 September 1998. He said:

We should all bear carefully in mind the constitutional safeguards inherent in the monarchy:

While the Queen occupies the highest office of state, no one can take over the government. While she is head of the law, no politician can take over the courts. While she is ultimately in command of the Armed Forces, no would-be dictator can take over the Army.

The Queen’s only power, in short, is to deny power to anyone else.

That is why our current system is the best system for this country. Unless and until someone can come up with an alternative model, fully articulated and fully detailed, I will be supporting our constitutional monarchy.

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