to THE AGE
Michael Cooney may have said that ‘the Queen herself is undoubtedly more popular than the institution of the monarchy’ (‘Insight’, 15/7), but it must be remembered that the person and the institution are not entirely separate. Her Majesty’s prestige partly exists just because she is the reigning monarch; and monarchy can produce leaders of this calibre much more easily than any form of republic.
This is why the largely ignored case for a separate Australian monarchy should be seriously considered. Wanting ‘our own head of state’ does not necessarily mean wanting a republic and a president.
NJ, Belgrave, Vic