Royal Watch News
Queen's oath axed
Mar 9, 2006, 17:50 GMT
Just days before Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Australia ahead of the Commonwealth Games, Australia's oldest Parliament has voted to abolish the oath its members swear to the monarch.
The NSW parliament last night (07.03.06) voted to replace the oath sworn by MPs and ministers with a pledge of loyalty to 'Australia and to the people of NSW'.
MPs and ministers now swear 'to be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors according to law'. The queen will begin a five-day visit to Australia on Sunday, which includes trips to Canberra and Sydney before she opens the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Wednesday. Greens MP Ian Cohen, who joined Labor in supporting the change to the NSW oath, argued it was no longer appropriate for MPs to swear allegiance to the queen. He told Parliament: 'As members of this institution, we should be leaders not followers of a former colonial power.' 'Coalition and other MPs argued it was disrespectful to debate the issue in the lead-up to the queen's birthday. Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile said: 'It seems insulting for the Bill to be debated at this time. 'It is dishonest, disloyal and unconstitutional.'Copyright 2006 BANG Media International
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