The Importance of Australia, Mother Britain's Favourite Child

For a frequently underestimated and overlooked nation, Australia is one of the countries that I admire most. It is a tolerant, progressive society and a force for real good in the world. Although the world's big powers often poo-poo the importance of Australian input and opinion, Australians are becoming more and more confident in themselves, their national identity and their growing clout in the world. This growth of Australian power has been subtle and out of the limelight but it is there and it has been building momentum steadily throughout the last decade. This is important as Australia approaches the ten year anniversary of its narrow decision to not strike out on its own and become a republic, severing the link with the British monarchy and Britain forever.

As the anniversary approaches, no doubt the republican debate will again become a prominent one in Australian politics. The pro-republic camp is by no means a small, nearly always ignored group that is the case for the British pro-republic equivalent. In the 1999 referendum, Australians voted by 54% to retain the British monarchy. Not an enormous majority by any means. But in May 2008, a poll by Roy Morgan Research found that the scales had slightly tipped in the republicans' favour - their results found that 45% of Australians polled favoured a transition to a republic, whilst only 42% supported the retention of the monarchy. 13% were undecided. The poll also found that if Prince Charles was crowned King, only 32% would favour retaining the monarchy (another good reason why we should skip a generation and go straight to William). However, Roy Morgan also points out that although the republicans' had a slight lead, support for their cause is at its lowest level since 1993, when former PM Paul Keating raised the republican issue.

Alas, the current federal Labor government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has no plans whatsoever to unearth the republican can of worms again and propose a new referendum. It believes that there is no pressing political need to decide the issue and that it is a decision that will be made in "due time". The Labor Party traditionally though supports the switch to republic and many prominent politicians of the opposition - and conservative - Liberal Party also desire a republic, including current leader Malcolm Turnbull and former federal treasurer, Peter Costello. Thus, with prominent republican advocates across the political spectrum, the anniversary will no doubt bring the constitutional issue to the forefront in Canberra again, regardless of whether Kevin Rudd wants to face it or not.

However, if a referendum was announced in the near future for whatever political reasons, what I believe would be in the republicans' favour is the fact that Australia is now much more confident in itself and its identity than it was 10 years ago - but why is this? Firstly, the history books will remember Australia as the only Western industrialised nation that did not succumb to recession in the Great Financial Crisis of the late 2000s. Although it hasn't been all economic plain-sailing for the Aussies, this is a fact that they are proud of and something that Kevin Rudd can happily tell as an interesting anecdote at important international summits. Secondly, Australia has a new, larger world role due to its membership of the G20 group of leading world economies, which will now replace the G8 as the most important international economic forum. Thirdly, in developing its economic links in the Far East and being blessed with a fabulous treasure chest of natural resources, Canberra has gained a greater ability to influence resource-hungry China and import-dependent Japan. Australia is also a lead trading partner with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes regional powerhouses such as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The news that broke over the weekend that there is discussion of an enormous East Asian free-trade area being developed between ASEAN, South Korea, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand (possibly the US) would only be in Australia's favour. Fourthly, Australia has received much international praise for its humanitarian and peacekeeping roles in its own Oceanic neighbourhood over the last decade, particularly in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. Fifthly, Kevin Rudd is a renowned and popular  international statesman, building good relationships with Barrack Obama, European leaders and even Hu Jintao, Chinese President (it helps that he speaks fluent Mandarin). He has also worked hard to correct past Australian wrongs, the most prominent being a public apology to the Aborigine population and reversing the former Liberal government's immigration policies concerning the internment of "boat people" asylum seekers. And finally, Australia is viewed as a leading advocate on issues such as climate change and development aid - the Australian delegation will definitely make itself heard at the Copenhagen climate change summit in December.

With this newfound confidence and growing world role, Australia may one day be happy to say goodbye to the British monarchy and finally complete its transition from former colony to fully independent nation-state. I don't plan to argue whether or not this would be a good or a bad thing, as it is the people of Australia who can only decide that. But I do believe that if Australia did wave an ultimate goodbye to Britain, the impact on Britain and the British people will be much larger and deeper than anyone had previously contemplated. 

To the British, the "Australian Dream" is much more enticing than the "American Dream". The British, although culturally, politically and linguistically close to the United States, hold a much greater esteem for our cousins Down Under. This could be because Australia is still relatively fresh in the memory of British history, as it was only heavily settled in the second half of the nineteenth century, unlike the United States which achieved its independence from Britain nearly a century before. We simply love anything Australian and every year thousands of Brits desert Blighty for a new life in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane etc. The ideals and images of Canada and New Zealand just don't compare to the image of the barbie on the beach, the great Outback and who can name a Canadian or New Zealand monument that provokes as much emotion as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House or Uluru (Ayers Rock)? British Government statistics released in September revealed that 395,000 Brits left the UK for good in 2008 and the most popular destination was not Spain, as one may expect, but Australia. To many Brits, Australia is perceived as being cleaner, friendlier, better governed and offering a much better quality of life overall (which, sad to say, is broadly true). It is estimated that approximately 1,150,000 British nationals now reside in Australia, by far the largest group of non-Australians in residence. 

So the news one day that Australia has decided to ditch the monarchy I am sure will come as a personal affront to many British people. This isn't saying that our special affinity for the Aussies will end - it will be very much like two long-term lovers deciding to split on amicable terms. The residual feelings will not go away immediately but they will eventually make up and become the best of friends. After all, even if Australia is not the most prominent or powerful of Britain's former children, it is certainly our favourite.

I have had the enormous privilege to visit Australia. And I have to admit, if I didn't love the historic, cultural, linguistic and culinary traditions of Europe so much, I would seriously consider packing up and embarking on the "Australian Dream" myself.