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RUBY:

From Schwartz Media, I’m Ruby Jones. This is 7am.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be in London on Monday, joining other world leaders at the funeral for the Queen.
He’s suspended Parliament in Canberra, for a period of mourning. But that mourning period is longer than that of the U.K. Parliament.

So why is that? What are the rules for mourning the Queen and who decides them?

Today, Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on Australia’s extended grieving.

It’s Friday, September 16.

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RUBY:

Paul, it's now been a week since Queen Elizabeth, the second died, and the tributes for her have filled the airwaves. And that will continue over the weekend because her funeral is on Monday. And after that, Australia has this one off public holiday next Thursday. So why is it that the official mourning for the monarch goes for this long?

PAUL:

Ruby, it does seem to drag on, doesn't it? In fact, the Australian Parliament is not sitting for 15 whole days and that's actually five days longer than the mourning period in the United Kingdom Parliament which has taken just ten days off. And even in Britain, that ten days stoppage has come in for some criticism because they're in the grip of an urgent inflation crisis as well.

Here in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced several questions about why the suspension has been going on for so long. At a couple of his press conferences this week.

Archival tape – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“I, as Prime Minister, have followed the procedures that have been in place for a lot longer than I've been in place as Prime Minister.”

And then maybe with multi minister Scott Morrison in mind. He said, and I quote,

Archival tape – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“I think there is something to be said for a Prime Minister who follows tradition, who follows protocols and who follows order. That is something that I hope to define my Prime Ministership is respect for those traditions.”

PAUL:

Well, the protocols he was referring to are the ones laid down in Operation London Bridge. Ruby, that's the code name given to the death of the Queen. And these protocols date back to the 1960s, and they involve all the arms of the British apparatus in planning to the minute what would be done.

And the Queen herself was involved, as Albanese hinted on Tuesday, when he revealed the ten everyday Australians who joined him on his plane last night were the Queen's idea. And they include community organisers and people like Australian of the Year, Dylan Alcott, who will be attending the funeral at Westminster Abbey with the Prime Minister on Monday.

Archival tape – Anchor:

“Well officials estimate 350 thousand mourners will cue here over the next four days to file past Queen Elizabeth while she lays in state.”

Archival tape – Anchor:

“There might even be thousands more, some estimates are even double or triple that number and UK residents have already started to line the streets of London hoping to see the late monarch’s coffin…”

Archival tape – Interviewee:

“It’s been long and quite cold, quite rainy, but it’s not been too bad, it’s been worth it to stay overnight. I think”

Archival tape – Interviewee:

“How long have we been here now, 18 hours?”

PAUL:

As per the protocols, the Queen will lay in state when thousands of Britons, tourists and official mourners will pay their respects, heading to Westminster Hall to view her coffin, which is draped in the Royal Standard with flowers and her crown on top.

RUBY:

And so these protocols that set down the rules for this prolonged period of mourning, they take inspiration from the plans that were set down in the U.K. decades ago. But who is it that actually decides, for example, that Australia's parliament takes more time to mourn the Queen than the British Parliament does?

PAUL:

Well, one senior source in Canberra told me the latest iteration of the protocols went back to the Howard Government, which may explain a lot. And we can assume, Ruby, these plans have sat in a drawer occasionally updated by a Prime Minister. And Albanese says he's inherited this particular version of the plan. And it's fair enough for the Britains to prepare in this way. But to me it's beyond silly that an Australian government can't have more of its own ideas how to appropriately react in this country.

Just as curious was the wall to wall coverage on the ABC, and presenters on all the TV networks required to wear black. Well one senior minister said to me, look, it's what you get when you vote no. And that was a reference to the failed 1999 Republic referendum.

The reaction, I have to tell you, amongst the labour rank and file around Australia is instructive. Federal and state MPs report plenty of their branch members, well, they're unimpressed. Messages coming into the Queensland Premier's office, for example, well, they've been colourful. Quote, ‘we're supposed to reject all this bullshit, aren't we?’ was typical.

RUBY:

Okay. And Paul, we now have a new head of state, King Charles III, and there's someone who first began covering Canberra decades ago. What has it been like for you to watch how that transition is happening? Is this how you thought that you might see Australia's next head of state come into office?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby it has been interesting, but I'd have to agree with one British commentator who says the Brits love to commemorate their traditions in costume drama.

Archival tape – King Charles III:

“As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself throughout the remaining time God grants me to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.”

PAUL:

Well, I watched Charles III make his first regal address. In it he pledged to love and serve the people of the United Kingdom, as his mother had done. But he left Australia unspecified. We were lumped in with the realms and territories of the Crown.

Archival tape – King Charles III:

“And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love as I have throughout my life.”

PAUL:

And I think that says it all, really. It rams home the lingering reality. We're still a vassal state. And the extraordinary length of the mourning protocols here only add to that sentiment.

You know, we're just one of 14 countries of the realm that count Charles as the head of state. And the British magazine, The Economist, pointed out, Charles might continue to be the King for the realm countries simply because all of us have bigger problems than King Charles. It's strange, but Charles III may continue to reign over countries like Australia simply because of inertia.

And that inertia is the biggest hurdle facing Republicans who are treading very carefully at the moment. But definitely Harbour hopes that Albanese's assistant minister for the Republic, Matt Thistlethwaite, gets busy in preparation for a possible referendum in the next term of government. You know, the time for another debate on the monarchy is definitely coming.

RUBY:

We’ll be back after this

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RUBY:

Paul, the new king, King Charles III, doesn't necessarily have the same level of popularity as the queen did. And a lot of Republicans, I think, have believed that his reign would reignite a push for Australia to become a republic. So is there a real chance of that now?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, let's start out by looking at what the base level of public sentiment is at the moment. The polling company, Roy Morgan, took an SMS poll on the question of a republic two days after the death of the Queen. And it found an increasing majority believe Australia should remain a monarchy, 60%, in fact, which is up five points since November 2012. Only 40%, down five points, say Australia should become a republic with an elected president.

Now, as you say, Republicans have thought this would be a trigger moment that would see public sentiment moving. And this was the view of former Republican prime ministers like Malcolm Turnbull and the late Bob Hawke. The reality is it's probably too soon to get a handle on that. The truth is that probably relies on how Charles and his family actually acquit themselves.

Albanese will also need to throw his weight as the elected leader of the nation behind any new drive for a republic for it to succeed. Paul Keating's decision to push a republic during his prime ministership in the 1990s, and the momentum it generated, was the reason the avowed monarchist, John Howard, held the referendum. And it takes a national leader to push the issue resolutely for any chance of that happening again.

RUBY:

Hmm. Right. But, Paul, we know that a referendum on the voice to Parliament will take precedence for Anthony Albanese. Don't we? You wouldn't imagine that we'd hear any bold statements on a republic before that vote has been put to the country.

PAUL:

Well, that's definitely the case, Ruby. But it was still interesting that when Albanese was interviewed by Sky News U.K., they assumed a republic would be on the agenda. In fact, that interview was the first chance we got to see whether the Queen's death had changed Albanese's thinking on a republic referendum. It was put to the PM by the Sky News anchor…

Archival tape – Anchor:

“It's reignited a debate about a republic. Do you think in this moment that that is appropriate, or perhaps even opportunistic?”

PAUL:

Albanese doesn't resile from his Republican views, but is acutely aware because of them. His political opponents, particularly those with enduring monarchist attachment, would be quick to amplify any misstep that could be construed as disrespect or worse.

Archival tape – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“I am of the personal view, and I've made it clear that now is the time for us to pay tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth the second, to give thanks for her service to Australia, to the Commonwealth and to the world. And that is the focus that I have.”

PAUL:

Albanese reminded his international audience that his absolute priority is the recognition of First Nations people in our Constitution.

Archival tape – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“Our Constitution at the moment would have you believe, if you read it, it’s our nation's birth certificate, that history began in 1788. And, of course, that was an important part of our history. But we are home to and share this continent with the oldest continuous culture on the planet that goes back some 65,000 years. That should be a source of national pride and we should recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our Constitution. That is absolutely my priority.”

PAUL:

And now, of course, the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 happened under the expanding British Empire, ruled over by the Crown. And it's worth reflecting on that this week. The unlawful Aboriginal dispossession is an injustice that still needs to be addressed.

Associate law professor Hannah McGlade, a First Nations woman, told Radio National that the Queen did symbolise the British royal family, and quote “by extension outstanding issues around justice and land for Indigenous Australians.”
Dr. McGlade says the referendum enshrining a protected voice to Parliament, leading to a treaty process, would do the work Captain Cook illegally failed to do 252 years ago when he claimed Australia for the Crown.

RUBY:

Hmm. And as the Government moves towards that referendum, Paul, and all sorts of other government business, this 15 day shut down of Parliament, that's really slowing things down, isn't it?

PAUL:

Well, it certainly is, Ruby. The Monday following the Queen's funeral, though, we'll see the deferred business of government resume, and that includes the introduction of legislation for a national anti-corruption commission. Well, the Prime Minister appeared to tie himself in knots over his campaign promise to legislate the commission by the end of the year. It now appears it may only pass the Lower House by then. Some on the crossbench are demanding he keep faith with the Australian people by delivering.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says if it is passed through both houses and he's hopeful that promise can still be met, then the commission can commence operation by mid 2023.

RUBY:

Paul, thank you so much for your time.

PAUL:

Thank you, Ruby. God save the king.

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RUBY:

Also in the news today,

The World Health Organisation has declared that quote “the end is in sight” for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Average weekly deaths from the disease are at their lowest point since March 2020, the beginning of the pandemic.
And the founder of Patagonia has given away the company to help fight climate change.

Worth approximately three billion dollars, ownership of Patagonia – an outdoor clothing company – was transferred to a specially designed non-profit organisation and trust.

7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by Kara Jensen-Mackinnon, Alex Gow, Alex Tighe, Zoltan Fecso, and Cheyne Anderson. Our technical producer is Atticus Bastow.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Our editor is Scott Mitchell. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.

Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

This week we’re farewelling Alex Gow - thanks Alex for all your work producing and composing and good luck with everything you’re going on to.

I’m Ruby Jones, see you next week.

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