Queen talks politics with Australian opposition leader

Queen discusses difficulties of forming minority governments with Tony Abbott in Canberra Australia’s turbulent political landscape and minority government were the topics of conversation when the Queen met the country’s opposition leader. The monarch told Tony Abbott, head of the Liberal party, that forming minority governments was always problematic. The sovereign was referring to the experiences of Australia’s prime minister Julia Gillard, who experienced weeks of political wrangling before she was able to form a government after elections last year produced no overall winner. The politician had to rely on a handful of independent members of parliament finally backing her before she could take up office at the head of a minority government. The Labor party leader had called a snap election after taking over from prime minister Kevin Rudd who was deposed in a party coup less than three years after becoming prime minister. The Queen rarely speaks about her personal views in public and her words were recorded by the waiting media who were given access to the first few moments of the audience. But her comments were also formed by recent experiences as there were a number of anxious days before David Cameron was able to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats last year. Abbott met the Queen in the morning room of Canberra’s Government House on Friday after the sovereign had held discussions with Gillard. The Queen wasted no time raising the issue of the precarious state of Australian politics saying: “It is an interesting time.” Australia’s minority government is the first in decades and commentators have said it could easily be threatened by a ministerial misdemeanour or by-election. Abbott replied to the Queen’s opening statement saying: “It is never dull, we play our politics tough in this country and give no quarter, Australian society is always dynamic.” He made the Queen laugh when he added: “We like to think we’re the happening place, Your Majesty.” The monarch replied: “A minority government is always a difficult thing to organise,” before talks continued behind closed doors. Gillard has faced criticism for deciding not to curtsey to the Queen when the pair first met, and on Friday she again bowed her head, twice, to the monarch as she walked into the room. Australia Monarchy Julia Gillard guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 21, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.