the-unshackled-waves-ep-158

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With the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gaining worldwide public interest and media attention, it has reignited the constitutional monarchy vs republic debate. Australians rejected a republic at a referendum in 1999 but the push for one has continued.

Advocates of Australia’s constitutional monarchists have been defending our current constitutional arrangements. One of them is Wilson Gavin who is a representative from the Queensland Young Monarchist League. I thought it would be great to invite him on to have a discussion about the case of both monarchy and the republic.

We explore whether monarchy is good as a principle, or only beneficial for us in the Commonwealth? We ask Wilson about the dangers he sees in an Australian Republic and how a President could undermine an elected government. We look at if a Republic could change Australia’s culture and institutions and potentially lead to a bill of rights. I put to Wilson could a republic work if done with minimal change, and is an Australian head of state good in theory?

We look at the impact the British Royal Family has had on the strength of the monarchy. Could it be possible that a future monarch interferes in politics and did the scandals of the 1990s diminish the standing the Royals had with the public? Looking at the latest push for republic we analyze the state of the polls, how Labor’s three votes on the Republic will fair and what Wilson’s campaign strategy will be.

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