Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Like the majority of MPs, I believe our nation should have an Australian as our head of state. I'm passionate about this. I spoke about it in my first speech. Our head of state should be a citizen, not a foreigner. Our head of state should live here, not in Britain. They should be an Australian; they should be one of us.

Now, my personal confessions: when I was first elected it was a confronting moment to take an oath of allegiance to a foreigner. I felt like a cheap traitor. In silent protest, I crossed my fingers and toes, I did! Personally, I cannot stand hereditary monarchies; they're anachronistic—we took centuries to get rid of tyranny. A hereditary monarchy runs against Australian egalitarian values.

I know it's politically correct for republicans to get up here and kowtow to the British royal family. I'm supposed to say: 'I like them. I respect them for their years of service.' Well, I'm not one for political correctness. I don't like the British royal family. I don't especially dislike them most days, though in the last few weeks the true elitist, out-of-touch character of the institution has been revealed. I could not give a hoot about their lives or their incestuous ancestry and traditions. I do not care. They are irrelevant to our national life.

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