The cost
of having the Danish couple visit Australia, coupled with the attendance at
their wedding, and that of Charles and Camilla and the pope’s funeral by the
viceroy and his wife cost the hapless Australian taxpayer a cool $550,000 – for
what?

Australia has an ambassador in Denmark and Italy and a high
commissioner in London all of whom could admirably have represented Australia
at the ceremonies. The visit here by Frederick and Mary cost an outrageous
$25,000 a day and if Canberra feels we
need some vicarious pleasures by seeing fairy tale characters parade around
pretending to be normal everyday people, well let those normal everyday people
pick up the bills.

As viceroy, Michael Jeffery seems very reclusive – if he gets
down among the people as is claimed, then government house should hire a
publicist to make sure we know how the money is being spent. It costs millions
annually for the upkeep of the representative of our foreign, non resident, non elected head of
state – and monarchists will bleat it will cost the same for a president – it
might, but it will be money spent on one of our
own.