THE Queen sought to bridge the Australian constitutional divide yesterday
when she acknowledged the inevitability of change while assuring the nation of
her "lasting respect and deep affection", whatever the future might hold.
It was her "duty", she said, but also her "privilege and pleasure" to continue to
serve as Queen of Australia after last November's referendum result in favour
of the Crown. But she tacitly acknowledged that constitutional change was
inevitable in Australia, which had "always been a country on the move".
Referring to the title of the national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, she said:
"We must look forward as well as back."
On a day marred by a security alert and driving rain, but lifted by much bigger
crowds than predicted, her speech was widely regarded as a historic address
that gave monarchists and republicans something to cheer.
Combining some personal memories with a comprehensive assessment of
Australia's present place in the world, she observed that she had been head of
state for almost half of the nation's existence. The monarchy's future in
Australia, though, was a matter for its people alone. "It should not be
otherwise," she said firmly.
The Queen was speaking shortly after a man with a history of mental illness
was arrested as he tried to breach a security cordon at the Sydney
Convention Centre. Gregory Pailthorpe, 39, claiming to be a member of the
SAS, was carrying rudimentary bomb components and a kitchen knife which
he had strapped to his leg. He admitted a drug offence and possessing a knife
and was remanded in custody for medical reports.
Pailthorpe was arrested an hour before the Queen's arrival and officials
stressed that she was never in danger. However, the incident rekindled
memories of 1994 when a man fired a starting pistol at the Prince of Wales in
a Sydney park. Neither the arrest nor driving rain prevented big crowds from
turning out to see the Queen and Prince Philip on the first full day of their 13th
tour of the country.
Despite forecasts of minimal interest in the visit, about 10,000 people
gathered outside Sydney Opera House for the formal royal entry into the city.
Most of the crowd were monarchists, many were republicans, but the vast
majority were united in a desire to see and welcome the head of state. When
the Federal Guard struck up the anthems of both Britain and Australia, God
Save The Queen was sung with even more gusto than Advance Australia Fair.
A few IRA sympathisers were booed when they raised banners saying:
"Release all political prisoners now." Some took them down when asked
which "political prisoners" were left to be released.
~*~
Voices of republic say it's nothing
personal(Uk Times)
FROM ALAN HAMILTON IN SYDNEY
LEADING Australian Republicans lavished praise on the
Queen yesterday for her 48 years as their head of state
and assured her that any move to abandon constitutional
monarchy implied no criticism of her.
In a speech of unusual directness, the Queen responded
that it was not only her duty but her pleasure to serve the
country as long as it wanted. A hint of sadness that an era
might soon end marked her words.
The Queen is making her thirteenth visit to Australia, but
her first since 1992. Last November the country voted
narrowly in a referendum to retain her as head of state.
At a state lunch in Sydney, the Queen said: "I shall
continue faithfully to serve as Queen of Australia under the
Constitution to the very best of my ability, as I have tried
to do for the past 48 years. It is my duty to seek to remain
true to the interests of Australia and all Australians as we
enter the 21st century. That is my duty. It is also my
privilege and pleasure."
The Queen recalled she was on her way to Australia when
her father died in 1952 and that since then she had felt
part of what she called a rugged, honest and creative land.
"I have shared the joys and the sorrows, the challenges
and the changes that have shaped this country's history
over these past 50 years," she said.
She was applauded when she concluded: "Whatever the
future may bring, my lasting respect and deep affection for
Australia and Australians everywhere will remain as strong
as ever."
John Howard, the monarchist Prime Minister,
acknowledged that Australia's ties with Britain were no
longer as strong as they had been.
Bob Carr, the Premier of New South Wales and a leading
republican, said: "In a great democracy, the role of the
monarchy in a constitution can be vigorously argued
without impairing in any way our deep respect for the
person of the monarch."
~*~
Royal security suspect 'was on another
planet'(Electronic Telegraph)
By Robert Hardman in Sydney
THE man at the centre of yesterday's royal security scare was last night
described as a loner "on another planet" who had been "in a desperate
mood".
Gregory Pailthorpe, an unemployed 39-year-old
man from the Sydney suburb of Homebush, was
arrested after trying to cross a security barrier at
Sydney's Convention Centre one hour before the
Queen's arrival. He had aroused suspicions when
he claimed that he was a member of an SAS team
protecting the Queen.
Police officers searched him and found an 8in knife
taped to his right leg as well as suspected bomb
components in a rucksack, although it is
understood that no explosives were involved.
Pailthorpe was charged with possession of a knife in public and possession of
cannabis, later pleading guilty to both charges in front of a magistrate at
Sydney's central court.
His lawyer, Simon Bleasel, told the court: "He tells me that it was his intention
to protect the Queen at all times and not to harm her in any way." In his
statement, Pailthorpe said he had been carrying the knife to extract a bullet
from himself in the event of being shot in the line of duty.
In his bail application, Mr Bleasel assured the court that his client would not
attempt to approach the Queen again during her visit. However, Pailthorpe
was remanded in custody pending psychiatric reports and will reappear in
court today.
The court heard that Pailthorpe, a recipient of invalid benefit, was on
medication for a nervous disorder. One neighbour, who asked not to be
named, last night: "He lives on another planet." Marie Buckley, 65, another
neighbour, said: "I thought he was going to do something. He was in a
desperate mood last night."
Pailthorpe's mother, Helen, emerged from her home in tears to assure people
that her son was no threat to society. Mrs Pailthorpe said: "All I know is that
there's no way he would hurt anyone no way he would hurt the Queen."
Royal sources said there were "no concerns" about the security operation
around the Queen. But it seems inevitable that what has been an unobtrusive
security operation thus far will now be stepped up.
~*~
Queen visits Olympic
village(BBC News)
The Queen has spent the second day of her
Australian tour visiting the site of the Sydney
2000 Olympics, reigniting debate over who
should officially open the Games.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard last year
chose to break with tradition and not invite
the Queen as head of state to open the
spectacle.
He originally proposed to do it himself, but
after media and public pressure, he asked the
Queen's representative in Australia, Sir William
Deane, instead.
As the royal party toured the site on Tuesday,
triple-gold medal-winning swimmer Dawn Fraser
said she thought the Queen was the right
person to open the Olympics.
"I would have preferred the Queen to open the
Games because it would have meant a lot to
the athletes," she said.
Ms Fraser campaigned against retaining the
Queen as head of state in last year's
referendum but she said she was "a big fan"
and that her political views did not extend to
the Olympics.
Corgi question
In an apparent allusion to dwindling public
support for the monarchy, the Queen said in a
speech at the Olympic site that she would
"maintain a deep affection for Australia,
whatever the future may bring".
The Queen saw the
Olympic Superdome,
the Stadium Australia
and the Aquatic
Centre, all
purpose-built at
Homebush Bay, a
former industrial
wasteland on the edge
of Sydney.
Small but loyal crowds
turned out to greet the
Queen both there and
at Sydney Children's
Hospital which she visited earlier.
One little girl, who has cystic fibrosis, asked
the Queen how many corgis she had.
The Queen replied: "I've got four and one's
just had puppies, so we've got more now."
Contaminated cheese
No further security breaches were reported
following Monday's incident when a man armed
with a knife was arrested near a venue the
Queen was to visit.
Gregory Pailthorpe was
subsequently placed in
psychiatric care
indefinitely.
The Duke of Edinburgh,
meanwhile, went on a
separate visit to a
cheese factory in
Wagga Wagga.
But after he refused to
wear a sterile white
laboratory coat and
hat over his suit, staff
said they feared a whole day's production of
cheese would have to be destroyed.
"You can't take the risk of contamination," said
cheesemaker Barry Lillywhite.
On Wednesday, the Queen will leave Sydney
and visit a primary school and Aboriginal radio
station in Bourke before heading to Canberra
for a state banquet.
It is her first visit to Australia in eight years.
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