Monarchists out of tune
Article by Ted O'Brien in Courier Mail
8 March 2006

AUSTRALIAN monarchists are trying to politicise the Commonwealth Games - they want God Save the Queen played at the Opening Ceremony in Melbourne instead of Advance Australia Fair.

It is one thing to campaign against a republic - it's quite another to try to deny our national identity. The XVIII Commonwealth Games might bring together 71 nations once called the British Empire, but the days of empire and colonies are long gone. By all means, pay due respect to the British queen and others, but we are a proud mature democracy that can sing our anthem instead of Britain's.

The movement in Australia to replace God Save the Queen dates to the 1820s. It was not until 1977 that Australians chose Advance Australia Fair in a national poll, with Waltzing Matilda running second, and only 19 per cent voting in favour of God Save the Queen.

Interestingly, a Newspoll on whether Australia should become a republic in January this year recorded only 19 per cent strongly opposed to a republic.

Australia's historical debate about having its own national anthem is not dissimilar to the debate on the republic: they both have something, yet nothing, to do with the British queen. The anthem debate was about replacing God Save the Queen as Australia's national anthem and the republic debate is about replacing the British queen as Australia's head of state.

Yet, that's where the relevance ends because neither debate is really about the queen.

Australians are not a sentimental lot. We don't thrive on British-like pomp and ceremony nor American-style glitz and glamour. We have our own distinct national identity and we share common values of democracy, equality and justice.

Australians do not take their identity and values lightly, even if, unlike some countries, we don't feel compelled to have them marketed back to us. Sporting events like the Commonwealth Games are when you see Australian national pride come to the fore.

It would be a serious mistake to discredit Australians' love affair with sport as a cheap form of entertainment. Sport embodies our values as a nation.

It is no surprise that Australians find their patriotism in sport, just as they find their national voice in their anthem. Our national anthem, like the campaign for a republic, is not principally about the queen or Great Britain. It's about Australia's identity and Australian values.

The Commonwealth Games organising committee has it right with playing Advance Australia Fair.

We cannot wind back the clock and nor do we want to. We're Australian and we're proud.

Ted O'Brien is the national chairman of the Australian Republican Movement