he LNP conservatives appear to be hoping that moving around the deckchairs and giving them royal names will help them retain their grip on power.

But all of this effort by Jarrod Bleijie and his high tea warriors will not be able to stop the rising demand for an Australian republic. Ultimately it simply makes them look foolish. King Canute couldn’t hold back the tide nor can the Life Member of the Australian Monarchist League, the Queensland LNP Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/queensland-lnp-continues-to-spin-backwards/

The extent of the Queen and Prince Charles's secretive power of veto over new laws has been exposed after Downing Street lost its battle to keep information about its application secret.

Whitehall papers prepared by Cabinet Office lawyers show that overall at least 39 bills have been subject to the most senior royals' little-known power to consent to or block new laws. They also reveal the power has been used to torpedo proposed legislation relating to decisions about the country going to war.

The internal Whitehall pamphlet was only released following a court order and shows ministers and civil servants are obliged to consult the Queen and Prince Charles in greater detail and over more areas of legislation than was previously understood.

The new laws that were required to receive the seal of approval from the Queen or Prince Charles cover issues from higher education and paternity pay to identity cards and child maintenance.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/14/secret-papers-royals-veto-bills/print

From Margo Kingston

The Sunshine Coast Daily are taking a train trip with Mal Brough. In an open letter, Margo Kingston lays out the questions they should be asking him about Ashbygate....

As you would be aware, Mr Brough has refused all media interviews since the Federal Court handed down its judgement in the Ashby case on December 12 last year. It thus appears that your paper now has exclusive access to Mr Brough, and therefore the potential to create national news with your pending interview.

In addition, Mr Richard Ackland, among others, have noted with concern that large media groups have failed to pursue the #Ashby matter since the judgement. As he wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald on January 18 before detailing some of the unsolved mysteries of the matter (http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/surely-the-coalition-smell-hasntevaporated-20130117-2cw5l.html):

The investigative bloodhounds of the press have let Tony Abbott and other leading Coalition ornaments off the hook. There are still so many loose threads dangling off the James Ashby case it is amazing that those dedicated to holding politicians to account have let this one pass…

In addition, in light of the adverse findings against Mr Brough by the Court, Labor MP Graham Perrett has asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate whether Mr Brough has breached three sections of the Criminal Code and Crimes Act, including the procuring of unauthorised access to Mr Peter Slipper’s diary (http://resources.news.com.au/files/2012/12/22/1226542/306440-hs-file-perretts-letter-to-afp.pdf).

read more: http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/open-letter-to-sc-daily-time-to-ask-brough-some-real-questions-about-ashbygate/

Gus: I am not holding my breath...

The Sunshine Coast Daily (run by APN) seems to be an excuse for a real estate promotion magazine, like the various "Couriers" in Sydney (run by Mr Murdoch, I believe) but I could be wrong on this...

In this article on the state of train and its toilets, The Gold Coast Courier advises us that Scott Emerson, minister for Qld transport, will make an announcement next week on this latter subject.... It is interesting to note that Scott used to be a journalist for the "commie/leftie" ABC, while being a fully fledged Liberal (conservative). Go figure... But of note, the paper mentions that as Mal Brough, the candidate in shoe-in, is willing to face the dreaded toilets on a return journey to Brizzie, the present member, the Honorable Peter Slipper, has responded zip on the subject... Probably Slipper is on a study tour around the world in a taxi... It is my view Peter should go on the train trip and plunge Mr Mal Brough's head in all the said-toilets as Mal deserves, according to many aware people — apart from the media, of course...

We might have to hold our breath... and wait ... and ... wait...

It seems I have been a bit harsh on The Gold Coast Courier that recently would have had to deal with editorials on floods, more real estate drowning in floods and cyclone Oswald... Our thoughts are with you. It transpires that the Courier's reporter put Margot's question to Mal Brough who did not answer any of them without lying or talking crap... So good on the Gold Coast Courier for trying anyway... Maybe the paper will have to run anti-Brough editorials from now on...

But this morning I want mention the queen of poles ... er, I mean the Queen of Britainski and Waleski:

Polish has become the most commonly spoken non-native language in England and Wales, it has emerged as figures from the latest Census detail the rise of multicultural Britain.

More than half a million people now speak Polish as their first language, placing it ahead of more established languages Punjabi and Urdu and behind only official languages English and Welsh.

The figures, released today, also show that nearly 140,000 people living in England and Wales cannot speak English, 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/polish-is-second-most-sp

And now that Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands has promised to abdicate for her son, the same is being asked of the German Queen of  Britainski (Queen Elizabeth royal line is Germanic)... So, Long live the Republic! gGt rid of this anachronism in Australia and let's prepare to mention the Indigenous people in the constitution... That should be on Labor's agenda...

THE NEWS that the Queen of the Netherlands hasdecided to hand over to her son and go into retirement comes as no surprise.

Abdication is common in the royal house of Orange-Nassau — Queen Beatrix’s mother stood aside as did her mother.

The monarchists have been quick to quell the many calls for the Queen of England to make the same decision, blathering on that abdication is unknown in the German house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, now called the house of Windsor.

They have short memories; the Queen of England’s uncle, who became King Edward VIII on the death of his father – King George V, Elizabeth’s grandfather – was forced to abdicate because of his love for a twice married American woman. The British Government of the day treated Edward in a most disgusting manner and his wife was denied all the rights, styles and titles which a woman normally receives when she marries.

The Queen of England is now 86 and still performs a myriad of what must be excruciating engagements. She does them well and seemingly without complaint — but I guess that’s what she’s paid to do.

After all, she is on the public payroll and is nothing more or nothing less than a public servant.

The Queen of England, of course, is denied to right to make a decision of her own; she is bound by the wishes of her prime minister of the day and, like any loyal public servant, must do his or her bidding.

A glaring example of this was made public when Tony Blair pulled rank on the queen following the death is Diana, Princess of Wales in Paris.

Blair insisted Diana be sent off in royal style and further demanded the queen return to London to face the fact that London, and most of what passes for the civilized world, expected her to be among her grief stricken people.

Blair, it seems, was responsible for saving the house of Windsor from an inglorious end —republicanism was rampant in those days.

Queen Beatrix’s decision can’t be equated to Australia

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/australian-identity/republic/abdicating-australias-throne/

--------------------------

Time for republican sentiments to flow freely in Australia... and give the Queen of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha the flick... This election is as good as any to do the deed... Good afternoon, ma'am...

Winning entries:

The 2012 Judging Panel comprised Tom Keneally, Professor Brian Matthews and Professor John Warhurst.

Jennifer Morris has been awarded ‘First Prize’ in the Fourth National Republican Short Story Competition for ‘The Harvest’ with its excellent evocation of the country town atmosphere as well as descriptions of the vegetable garden and its connections with a sense of home. After an initial career in nursing, Jennifer completed a University degree in Social Sciences, at the same time juggling work and raising children. Her daughters now have families of their own. In the last twelve months she has made time to pursue a long held passion for writing. This is the second short story competition she has entered. Jennifer and her husband have spent most of their married life in country Victoria and have great empathy and hopes for rural Australia.

Ingle Knight has been awarded ‘Second Prize’ in the Fourth National Republican Short Story Competition for ‘When the Ice Melts’, which connects the climate change controversy with dilemmas in the republican debate and discussions of euthanasia. The writing in ‘When the Ice Melts‘ is accomplished with a quietly satirical edge. A prize-winning playwright and actor, Ingle is currently writing a play for Black Swan State Theatre Company about the political origins of the Gallipoli campaign. In 2012, he was the winner of the Richard Burton Playwriting Award. He has a PhD from Murdoch University and lives in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. ‘When the Ice Melts’ is his first work of prose fiction.

Terry Byrnes has been awarded ‘Third Prize’ in the Fourth National Republican Short Story Competition for ‘Once’. The narrative in ‘Once’ is daring with its satirical contemporary take on Waltzing Matilda which in the end creates a kind of unfinished echo that is quite dramatic. Terry is an Honours graduate in Social Science from Macquarie University. He began writing in earnest while he was there. On being informed of the award Terry said “playing a small part in the inevitable march towards republicanism gives me a sense of great pride”. Terry works in the Aboriginal justice industry and is an unswerving republican.

The Fifth National Republican Short Story Competition will open on 7 July 2013 and will continue to engage the republican issue with a narrative about Australia, including our identity, our values and our place in the world. The ARM wants to get Australians talking about us, our country — and the future we will share, together. Before every great invention and before every great journey is the idea. Without ideas and imagination, we are all trapped in the past. The short stories ‘The Harvest’, ‘When the Ice Melts’, and ‘Once’ are exercises in imagination and help to lead the way into possible republican futures.

The winning short stories were published on the competition website at http://republicanfiction.blogspot.com.au.

Though these are works of fiction, the Australian Republic won't be...