THE republic debate returned to parliament today when Labor snuck in a plea for an Australian president while backing legislation giving women rights to royal succession.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten used discussion of anachronistic laws dictating who can become monarch to call for constitutional change — and to niggle Liberals on their own succession moves.
Australia is one of 16 “reals” in the Commonwealth whose governments have to agree to changing the succession laws so an older sister can take the British throne ahead of a younger brother.
At present only men can become monarch and women can only be crowned when there are no brothers available, as happened to Queen Elizabeth.
And they can’t marry Roman Catholics.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor backed the move to scrap laws going back 243 years.
(About time!)
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