Tag Archives: Monarchy in Australia

The Palace Letters!

Posted on July 14, 2020 by jasonloch

After years of legal wrangling, the National Archives of Australia have finally released Sir John Kerr’s correspondence with Buckingham Palace, both before and after the dismissal of Gough Whitlam. But while some commentators hoped to find a smoking gun that … Continue reading →

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Royal Transparency Down Under

Posted on April 4, 2016 by jasonloch

Interesting things are afoot in Australia. The Prime Minister recently advised the Governor-General to recall Parliament as a prelude to a rare double dissolution. Because this is an unusual situation, Government House has publicly released Malcolm Turnbull’s advice regarding the recall along with an … Continue reading →

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Some Thoughts on Prince Philip’s Australian Knighthood

Posted on February 17, 2015 by jasonloch

Tony Abbott has had a rough few weeks. His decision to make the Duke of Edinburgh a Knight of the Order of Australia as part of the Australia Day honors list has ignited a firestorm of controversy. The Federal Opposition condemned the … Continue reading →

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Constitution 101: How Powerful Is The Queen?

Posted on November 23, 2014 by jasonloch

[This is the first in a series of posts that will look at the key institutions of the British constitution. A version of this particular post first appeared on my personal blog.]  Americans don’t really understand the British Monarchy. Our pundits often portray … Continue reading →

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Remembering the Whitlam Dismissal

Posted on October 21, 2014 by jasonloch

Gough Whitlam died today at the age of 98. His death comes just a few weeks shy of the thirty-ninth anniversary of his dismissal at the hands of the Governor-General. This momentous event was one of the defining moments of Australian politics, … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian Constitution | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Should the Governor Have Vetoed Tim Carmody’s Appointment as QLD Chief Justice?

Posted on June 28, 2014 by jasonloch

I was telling a friend about the furor over Tim Carmody’s nomination as Chief Justice of Queensland, and he wanted to know why the Governor agreed to make such a controversial appointment. The answer is that, as the Queen’s representative, the Governor must … Continue reading →

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