New PM Albanese was wise to not talk about his plans for an Assistant Minister for the Republic, during the 2022 election campaign. What Republic?
Australians clearly did not see this as an issue for a new government.
Voters had cost of living, climate change and other, more topical issues in mind when casting their vote, particularly a lower primary vote for the Labor Party, than that for the Coalition.
Yet now, so important an issue it seems, PM Albanese felt the need to appoint MP Matt Thistlethwaite as Assistant Minister for the Republic. There is no Minister for the Republic so, who is he assisting exactly?
The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) mouthpiece and darling of the Labor left, Peter FitzSimons clearly had a secret motive in place when he and his wife Lisa Wilkinson held a media and political love fest at their home on Australia Day 2022.
So convinced FitzSimons and the ARM are about the need for Australia to completely abandon its heritage, they needed to conspire to ensure the issue was not discussed, thereby avoiding an almost certain win for the Morrison government at the election.
The last referendum held in 1999 to decide whether or not to abandon our heritage and ditch the monarchical system, that has worked so well for Australia and its people, resulted in a resounding no.
Importantly, the voter turnout was 95.1%, markedly higher than the recent voter turnout in the federal election of 78.43%.
Appointing an Assistant Minister for the Republic is clearly a political risk for Anthony Albanese and he recognises this. If he didn't, it would have been an election issue and the ARM would have put large amount of funding to campaign for a Labor government.
While the republic issue is not front of mind for most Australians, they will not be pleased about this appointment either. Regardless of where their own views on a republic sit, it is not an issue for Australians when the cost of living is soaring and climate crisis zealots are attacking them on every front, contributing to the rising cost of living.
We recognise wolves in sheep’s clothing and if the Coalition jumps to shadow this ministerial position, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton can say goodbye to the forgotten Australians.