This is a repost from 26/1/2013
A major barrier to our future in the region is our dependence on foreign institutions and powers. First it was the British and now the Americans. We cling to others.
The British monarchy and the British flag are important parts of our history, but they are now barriers to our future in Asia. They have serious consequences both for how we see ourselves and how the Asian region sees us.
Underlying our dependence on others, is our fear of Asia, that as a small, isolated and white community we will be overwhelmed by the teeming millions of Asia. We therefore need to rely on outsiders. The British monarchy leads us to foolish sentimentality and distracts us from the critical need to focus our energies directly on relationships with our region. The British symbols distract us from seeing ourselves as who we are, our fears and where our future lies.
The Asian region also finds it hard to understand how a country that gives lip service to its future in Asia has a British Queen as head of state. To most people in our region this is more than confusing. It is nonsense.
When I was in the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, I called on Shigeo Nagano to tell him that the Australian Government was awarding him an Honorary Companionship in the Order of Australia for his contributions to Australia/Japan trade. He had been the Chairman of Nippon Steel and of the Japan Chamber of Commerce. He was a lovely man. When told of his award, the first thing he asked me was when he should go to Buckingham Palace to receive the award from the Queen. I let him down by saying that he could go to Canberra or I could present the award at a function in Tokyo. He chose the latter.
Also when I was in Tokyo, Sir Zelman Cowen, our Governor General elect at the time, asked me to arrange a meeting with the Emperor. I spoke to the Japanese Foreign Ministry who said that such a meeting was possible as Sir Zelman had not yet taken up his role as Governor General. If however he was the Governor General it was made clear that he could not call on the Emperor. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that if he was the Governor General and the Queen’s representative in Australia, he would have no status in Japan. As a private citizen, Sir Zelman Cowen saw the Emperor.
When I presented credentials to the Emperor the New Zealand flag was flown. With a Union Jack in both flags the mistake was understandable but it says a lot about how other countries are confused by our British connection.
That was almost 35 years ago. Nothing has changed.
Today, we could ask who really does our Governor General represent when he goes abroad for he has no status outside Australia.
The British monarchy confuses both ourselves and the people of our region. It is a major barrier to our future in the Asian Century.
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
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