It’s wonderful to be visiting communities on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. The people are great, the landscapes dramatic and it presents seemingly endless potential for economic growth.
They have some great cropping and grazing country, a vibrant fishing industry and massive mining potential. There’s also plenty of tourists around the coastal resorts hoping to catch their post-Easter quota of whiting!
Having committed to this tour of South Australia some time ago, it means I won’t be in Canberra to meet with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. These two have brought hope and joy to so many Australians on their recent visit – unless you are an advocate for an Australian republic!
Personally I am delighted with our existing constitutional arrangements and think we should retain them. The polls suggest that view is shared by most Australians. I do remember the constant mantra from the activist republican cause that people like me were ‘out of touch’ and regressive because we didn’t see any reason to change.
It’s no coincidence that many of these same people have been attached to a number of other ’causes’ claiming the public was on side when it never was. It reaffirms my view that many radicals are simply people in search of any cause that might undermine the existing institutions and they seem to confuse making noise with making sense.
This week also marks the Anzac Day commemorations. I’ll be attending a dawn service with many others to show my respect for those who have served our nation with such distinction. It’s also a mournful time for those who have lost loved ones defending our freedoms and a chance for all of us to honour and remember them.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
