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Reality will bite hard when it returns to the UK. Pomp and pageantry and mass mourning - all those trumpets and feathered hats - may have brought the country together but underneath that expensive facade lurk divisions that are likely to widen with the onset of a bleak winter.
The caps on electricity and gas prices are set to increase by an eye-watering 80 per cent in October. That cap will be reviewed again in January and is likely to increase. Inflation is also driving up the cost of living, despite a small decrease in August to 9.9 per cent thanks to a global drop in oil prices that are now on the uptick again. An embargo on Russian crude is looming in early December, casting another shadow over the coming winter.
It won't be the cravated wealthy doing it tough come winter, though. It will be the poorer folk shivering in their council flats, wondering whether they can afford that next Fray Bentos pie. Food prices, especially milk, cheese and eggs are galloping away at a swift 13.1 per cent.
And then there's the harsh reality of Brexit, a dish already being served cold. Indignant Britons returning from overseas are now moaning about the long waits to get through immigration as they depart Europe. Separated from EU passport holders, they are now lumped in with the travelling hoi polloi. The sun set on empire decades ago. It's now setting on that last skerrick of privilege: the fast lane at immigration.
The few Britons who have publicly voiced their opposition to the monarchy, holding up placards saying "Not my king", are quickly whisked off the streets by bobbies. Free speech is fine in the UK, just not right now, it seems. But what happens once the mourning is done? The death of the Queen - and the public outpouring of affection and grief - suggests a surge in support for the monarchy. But it's not spread evenly across the country.
The latest survey by the National Centre for Social Research, conducted in 2021 after Harry and Meghan fled the royal nest, found only 55 per cent said it was "very" or "quite" important for Britain to have a monarchy. Those who thought it either "not at all important" or that it should be abolished reached 25 per cent for the first time. Young people were most likely to question the need for a monarchy, while oldies were solid in their support for it.
When the full cost of the pomp and ceremony is tallied up - the price tag for yesterday's funeral alone is thought to be around $9 million - it will be staggering. And borne by taxpayers. There are already murmurings of resentment about a deal struck with the UK government three decades ago, which means King Charles won't have to pay tax on the vast estate he has inherited. The garden variety UK citizen is liable for 40 per cent on any part of an inherited estate valued above a threshold of $552,446. Alright for some.
Watching all this play out from a distance - ABC, ABC, where have you been? We've all been to London to visit the Queen - it's difficult not to let good old Aussie scepticism and that sense of fair play intrude on our thoughts.
As Justin's dad (Justin is a golden Labrador, I don't know his dad's name) said when we crossed paths on the dog walk and the royal fuss came up in conversation, "Fair dinkum. None of this makes any bloody sense at all."
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you reckon all this royal pomp and pageantry is worth it? Should King Charles be hit with inheritance tax? Are you glad you're Australian? Why? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- COVID-19 measures put in place for high-risk settings will be extended for another three months. The Albanese government has announced a three-month extension to December 31 for additional funding for testing and COVID-19 protocols in high-risk settings such as aged care and hospitals. Current funding was supposed to end on September 30, however the Commonwealth has sought to extend the period to ease pressure on the hospital system.
- For the trilateral AUKUS security pact to deliver on a "more nimble, more potent" defence force, there will need to be changes to the rules limiting how defence industry operates, the Defence Minister says. Richard Marles, who is also currently the acting Prime Minister, flagged possible easing in defence industry export controls as part of the discussions with the UK and United States towards a "seamless" defence industrial base across the three countries.
- Australia and Indonesia have pledged to increase economic cooperation ahead of a G20 finance ministers meeting. Treasurer Jim Chalmers met Indonesian Finance Minister Mulyani Indrawati in Canberra yesterday to sign the memorandum of understanding. The agreement will facilitate the exchange of departmental officials from both nations, with dialogue and cooperation to focus on areas such as tax policy and financial regulation.
THEY SAID IT: "Tradition has it that whenever a group of people has tasted the lovely fruits of wealth, security, and prestige, it begins to find it more comfortable to believe in the obvious lie and accept that it alone is entitled to privilege." - Steven Biko
YOU SAID IT: When politics is orderly it is also dull. Good thing or bad?
Brad says: "Dullness = working. Bagehot is right. The media whingeing about boring government belies its complicit involvement in the behaviour of the former management." He adds a comment about high speed rail: "I, too, am confident it'll never happen. Both our states and our Commonwealth have lost the post-World War II spark of innovation. The problem with HSR is it would also be wanted to also achieve too many stops and entrench the primacy of the existing major centres which would negate the very high speed it would claim. D'oh!"
David says the Albanese government is "probably about as progressive as a government can be these days - and still survive the Australian voter. I'd call it centre-right. Which says what about the opposition? Australia is a Commonwealth. That's a form of republic (albeit with a focus on the public good), so what's this debate about 'becoming' a republic? Sever ties with the British monarchy, by all means, but don't become something less than a Commonwealth."
Elisabeth prefers efficient politics. "Good administration and laws returning equilibrium to the social contract is what I expect from this government. We will never again see the heady days of true reformists like Whitlam and Hawke, but pray God we are seeing the end of the politics of anger, naked greed and social division. At least for a while."
Stephanie says: "Let's face it, anything is an improvement on the last government! I'm sure I was not the only one dreading ScoMo's next disaster. For the time being I think dull is good and one of Albo's biggest achievements is to make Australia not a laughing stock on the world stage. Let the UK and the US bathe in that glory. Keep up the great work, John." Thanks, Stephanie.
Ian says: "Yes, politics has got dull. Albo just seems to be intent on getting things done instead of playing to the cameras. He hasn't cooked any curries or even shown off his skills with a hammer. Monotone Dutton has always been dull and is now irrelevant too. Barnaby has been left on the sidelines by the remarkably sensible Littleproud. The teal candidates are too new to the game to be any fun. Only Adam Bandt has popped his head up to grab the morning headlines, but soon gets slapped down for another student politics stunt."
And from Ilia (not Russian, he says, just the spawn of parents who own a book of Greek mythology): "Hi John, I'm glad you commented on the unusual period of political calm we are experiencing. I'm convinced it ruined my father's birthday. Try as he might, he was unable to celebrate by antagonising me enough for our usual heated debate (our political stars do not align). This time he glumly conceded that the status quo was not worthy of debate, and that we should postpone crossing swords until Christmas. We both anticipate something controversial will have popped up by then. It's rather nice to have a respite from the chaos of the previous government, but deep down I secretly miss the biting satire, comedy, and outrage it generated."