Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Succession to the Crown Bill 2015, a piece of legislation with its roots going back to the 1500s with Henry VIII and then to 1772. It is dealing with some ancient concepts like the concept of male preference, primogeniture, as touched on by the member for Isaacs in his speech, and also by the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, in his speech.

It is particularly apt to be talking about this legislation on St Patrick's Day. We still sadly cannot have a Catholic monarch, but we now have a situation where the monarch can actually marry a Catholic. Still, here in Australia, on the other side of the world from the United Kingdom, we have a situation where our head of state must be a member of the Church of England. So this piece of legislation, whether you are a monarchist or a republican, seems to be very disconnected with modern day Australia.

Here is a parliament that has its roots in the Westminster system. They call this the 'Washminster system' because it has a little bit of Washington and a little bit of Westminster. We have the other place as well, rather than the House of Lords. This bill is disconnected with what most people in Australia are concerned about, and while they might think it is unimportant—and it has not been an issue that people have raised with me in my electorate of Moreton—it essentially ensures that the line of succession to the monarch is not determined by gender, but determined only by parentage and the timing of birth. It also overturns the statutory ban on successors to the Crown marrying Catholics. As I am a Catholic, married to an Anglican, I guess there is some hope for one of us to be a head of state one day!—but not a big chance.

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