Strewth: Republican Bill

Bill Shorten has some uncompromising advice for Prince Charles.

Bill Shorten declared his intention to shirt-front Prince Charles yesterday. Well, OK, he didn’t say “shirt-front”, but the Opposition Leader was still pretty aggressive when speaking in Melbourne. “I’ll be making it crystal clear. I believe it’s now long overdue for our head of state to be an Australian. The Queen’s done a great job ... but it is now time for Australia to have its own head of state.” You’d imagine the Prince of Wales would rather chat about javelin or shot put with Shorten at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Even Paul Keating is giving the heir to the throne a warmer reception than the current Labor leader. But Charles must already be feeling uneasy, with one recent poll showing only 22 per cent of Brits want him to succeed his mother. No wonder there are rumours Chuck wants to ditch his own name when he becomes king and take on the mantle of George VII. Charles I, after all, was killed by plucky parliamentarians and displeased peasants.

Chloe’s cookbook

Shorten stepped back from the limelight a little yesterday as Chloe Shorten launched her new cookbook in Footscray. The shadow first lady chatted about everything from Uber Eats to how Shorten is the worst offender when it comes to playing with one’s phone at the dinner table as she unveiled The Secret Ingredient. Shorten’s right-hand woman, ALP senator Kimberly Kitching came along as did fellow Labor MPs Jacinta Collins, Brendan O’Connor, Clare O’Neil, Peter Khalil and Tim Watts. Chloe’s publisher (and queen of political books) MUP boss Louise Adler was also in attendance. But all eyes as usual were on Chloe’s mother, former governor-general and fashion icon Dame Quentin Bryce. What a trendsetter. What a woman.

Former governor-general Quentin Bryce at the launch of her daughter Chloe Shorten’s cookbook, The Secret Ingredient. Picture: AAP

Turnbull at home

Malcolm Turnbull spent Easter Monday at his Point Piper mansion. We are slightly worried as the Prime Minister did not post any of his usual kayaking pictures on Instagram. Nobody wants Turnbull giving up on his harbourside fitness regime and getting into disrepair. Except perhaps the fantastically fit Tony Abbott and the amazingly athletic Julie Bishop.

Flag still flies

The home of Australian democracy’s most famous artefact closed its doors yesterday. The flag which flew above the Eureka Stockade of 1854 is currently at the Museum of Democracy at Eureka in Ballarat. MADE was supposed to bring together the story of the rebellion with the greater yarn of democracy Down Under. Its patrons included Lucy Turnbull and Steve Bracks. Only problem was it was losing more than $1 million a year, therefore Ballarat City Council decided to defund it, and now the museum is officially shut. Strewth spoke to some of Australia’s most famous historians about what should be done if the Eureka flag was forced to fly somewhere else. Forgotten Rebels of Eureka author Clare Wright wants the flag to stay on “home turf” but says alternatively it should be in the Australian parliament with other national treasures. Tom Keneally, who’s halfway through a multi-volume history of Australia,wonders if our pollies could handle the flag’s power. “They could hang the Eureka flag in Parliament House if the politicians can stand its radioactivity — the ideas of including people in policy and going against the system which it represents.” Seeing the Eureka flag in parliament’s halls may well irk Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash,as she’s tried to stop the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union flying it at construction sites. Luckily, Ballarat Council is simply going to replace MADE with its own, cheaper, visitors centre and keep the Eureka flag at its original post. Crisis averted, Michaelia. You can put that big, flag-blocking, parliamentary whiteboard away.

Aussie’s Euro tragedy

Lovers of bad British TV will have noted the death of Heartbeat star Bill Maynard last weekend. But did you know he was Australia’s greatest enemy? Yes, he was responsible for knocking the first Aussie out of the Eurovision Song Contest. He bested Lorrae Desmond in the 1957 British heats, denying her the chance to be the first person to sing in English at the competition. We wouldn’t get one of our own up on stage until Melbourne boys Peter Doyle and Marty Kristian sang at Eurovision 1972. But Desmond achieved something much greater — she was the first woman to win the Gold Logie.

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