Republic is common sense

In the Gazette of December 19, 2017, Lynton Malley expressed his confusion over who in Australia supports Australia becoming a Republic.

Obviously he has a very limited knowledge about those Australians like me who support Australia becoming a Republic. As a member of the Australian Republic Movement, I will try to help him understand the issue.

Recently the High Court of Australia held that a dual citizen cannot be a member of the Australian Parliament. Yet our current Head of State (the British Monarch) is a total foreigner – British.

Also this Head of State lives in a foreign country (Britain) on the other side of the world, and seldom visits our country.

Further, they attain this position not by rendering outstanding service to our country but by simply being born into a very privileged family. Finally, when they tour overseas, they do not promote Australia but a foreign country.

On the other hand, if our Governor-General was our Head of State, they would be an Australian citizen who lives in Australia. Also they earn this position by reason of their outstanding service to our country and, when they visit foreign countries, they promote Australia.

Perhaps when Lynton Malley reads this letter, he will see the common sense of joining me in advocating for Australia to become a truly independent country by becoming a Republic.

Ted Benjamin, Neerim Junction.