According to the CCTV news client news, on the afternoon of September 8, local time, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died at balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96.
Just five hours after the Queen's death, Australian politicians called for a republic to break away from the british king's leadership.
According to the British "Guardian" reported on September 9, Australian Green Party leader Adam Bandt tweeted today to express condolences for the queen's death and called on Australia to carry out constitutional reforms and establish a republic. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said "today is not the day to [talk] about politics" and that he just wanted to pay tribute to the Queen.
Screenshot of the report
Originally an indigenous australian settlement, Australia colonized it in the 17th century by Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch colonists. In 1788, Australia became a British colony; In 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was established and became a British Self-Governing Territory; In 1931, Australia became an independent state within the British Commonwealth.
Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy, with the King of England as its titular head of state. The King of England appointed the Governor-General as his representative, and the Governor-General did not interfere in the operation of the Australian Government. The Prime Minister of Australia is the country's highest executive leader, headed by the parliamentary majority leader.
In 1999, Australia held a referendum on whether to adopt a republican system, and the constitutional monarchy won by an overwhelming majority.
In 2003, the Queen of england visited Australia, and the people presented flowers.
The current Australian government is run by the Labour Party, which said before this year's Australian general election that they would hold a referendum again after they were elected to decide whether to establish a republic. After The labour party leader Albanes became Australia's prime minister, he also created a special post of "Assistant Minister for Republic Affairs" to deal with matters related to Australia's transition to the Republic.
However, parliamentarians in Parliament who supported Australia's becoming a republic have long acknowledged that this is unlikely to happen as long as Queen Elizabeth is head of state.
After the queen's death on 8 September, Australian politicians saw an opportunity.
At 8:27 a.m. local time on September 9, Adam Band, the leader of Australia's third largest political party, the Green Party, tweeted and called on Australia to carry out constitutional reform and establish a republic. At this time, only 5 hours have passed since the news of the Queen's death was announced.
"Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II." Our hearts are with her family and all who love her. He first expressed his condolences on the Queen's death, and then the words turned sharply, "Now, Australia must move forward." We need treaties with indigenous peoples, we need to be a republic. ”
Mehreen Faruqi, another senator from the Australian Green Party, echoed the sentiment later, albeit in a more strident manner.
The Movement of the Republic of Australia (ARM) issued a statement paying tribute to the Queen and calling her "the highly respected Head of State of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth".
The statement also specifically noted that Queen Elizabeth "respects the self-determination of the Australian people" and that "during the 1999 referendum on the Republic of Australia, the Queen supported the right of Australians to become a fully independent state." "She has always made it clear that the future of the Australian monarchy is a matter for the Australian people, determined by their own democratic and constitutional means."
PETER FITZ SIMONS, ARM'S NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, SAID: "During the Queen's reign, Australia has grown into a mature and independent nation. It is unlikely that we will see a monarch who is respected or admired by the Australian people anymore. ”
Screenshot of ARM statement
Alexander Woltz of the Australian Monarchist Coalition (AML) said there would certainly be discussions in Australia about the establishment of a republic after the Queen's death, calling for a "certain degree of civility and respect" on all sides.
"I don't think this is the right time to make these points. You know, we're probably going to spend two weeks in mourning, and that's what really matters. Waltz said in an interview.
Australian Prime Minister Albanes was also asked in the media this morning about the establishment of the republic, which he has long supported as a republic. However, he declined to answer that question today.
"Today is not the day to [talk] about politics." "Today is a day to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth, who has contributed as our head of state for 70 years, thanking her for her dedication and her contribution to Australia," Albanis said. ”
Albanes added: "I think the Queen is someone who deserves the respect of every Australian. ”
In 2019, Charles and Elizabeth II attended the opening of parliament together Image source: Reuters
It is worth mentioning that not only Australia, but also the Caribbean Commonwealth member countries Jamaica, Saint Lucia and other countries of politicians also took the opportunity to call for the abolition of the British monarch's status as head of state in the local area, the establishment of a republic, and demanded that the United Kingdom pay compensation for the historical slavery.
Compared with the Commonwealth, the independence momentum of Scotland and Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom has caused headaches for the British authorities.
The Us "Time Magazine" pointed out in an article on the 8th that the Scottish region has always been less supportive of the monarchy. In May, a poll by the British Future think tank found that more than a third of Scots believed the end of the Queen's rule was the best time to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic in the region.
In May, Sinn Fein, a nationalist party advocating "Brexit", won the Parliamentary Elections in Northern Ireland, becoming the largest party in Parliament for the first time, causing concern in the United Kingdom. The Irish Times said on the 8th that the death of Queen Elizabeth is comparable to an earthquake for the pro-British party Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, and the future British royal brand is bound to decline in Northern Ireland.
Microsoft National Broadcasting Corporation (MSNBC) published an article on the 9th: "The queen witnessed the end of the British Empire, and Charles may witness the end of the monarchy." ”
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