A tale of two ex-dominions: why the procedures for changing the rules of succession are so different in Canada and Australia |
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Authors: | Andrew Smith Jatinder Mann |
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Affiliation: | 1. University of Liverpool Management School, University of Liverpool, Chatham Street, Liverpool L69 7ZH, UK;2. Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK |
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Abstract: | In 2011, the leaders of the nations that share Queen Elizabeth as their head of state agreed to change the rules governing the inheritance of the throne. The federal nature of the Canadian and Australian Crowns raises the question of whether Canadian provinces and Australian states should be involved in the process for modifying the rules of succession. Australia's federal government has decided to include its states in the process, whereas Canada's did not. This article will assess what the differences between these two approaches reveal about the political cultures and leaders of these nations. The issues discussed include relations between the civil service and elected politicians, the contested social memory of the British Empire, and the relationship between neoliberalism and cooperative federalism. |
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Keywords: | Australia Canada federalism Julia Gillard monarchy Stephen Harper |
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