Treason or reason? Ipswich politician Paul Tully seeks to dethrone royal holiday and crown Green Day instead
Queensland’s longest-serving politician, Paul Tully, deems the King’s Birthday holiday a royal jest, urging it be replaced by Environment Day for a greener future. CAST YOUR VOTE
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The King’s Birthday holiday should be scrapped, according to Queensland’s longest-serving politician.
Ipswich councillor Paul Tully, a 44-year local government veteran, said it was a joke King Charles III of England was still Australia’s head of state.
Cr Tully said the King’s Birthday should be replaced by Queensland Environment Day.
“The October holiday should be a day when the people of Queensland plant 100,000 trees every year instead of celebrating a monarch whose own country doesn’t even have a holiday on his birthday,” he said.
“Only political troglodytes will be singing God Save the King today in honour of King Charles.
“It would be good for the State Government and Opposition to agree to scrap the King’s Holiday to enable Queensland to move forward from the days of colonial rule 165 years ago in 1859.”
Cr Tully said his only connection with royalty today would be to have a quiet ale at Goodna’s historic Royal Mail hotel, which is older than Queensland.
It was where he unfurled the Queensland flag, which has the Southern Cross and five white stars on a blue background.
It is a variation of the Blue Ensign, often used for maritime flags in Australia.
Their Majesties The King and Queen Camilla will not include a pit stop to Ipswich or even to Queensland when they tour Australia this month.
The royal tour kicks off on Friday, October 18 and runs until Saturday, October 26 and include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
It will be the King’s first visit to Australia as a monarch.
The holiday was formerly known in Australia as the Queen’s Birthday until 2022, when Queensland Elizabeth II died.
In most Australian states and territories, the King’s Birthday is marked in June on the same date as in the United Kingdom.
However, Western Australia usually observes the holiday in September and Queensland celebrates the King’s Birthday Holiday on the first Monday of October.
With the holiday falling on different dates throughout the country, it must be noted that it doesn’t fall on the king’s actual birthday, which is November 14.
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