I have a certain affinity with the idea of an Australian head of state, although I must admit that it has waned somewhat over recent years – possibly due to advancing age and a better understanding of the underlying issues, and possibly, maybe even probably, because the Australian Republican Movement has been chaired for a number of years now by Peter Fitzsimons, a man whose shallow understanding of the issues plumbs toddler’s pool depths. 

In Sunday’s’s Sun–Herald, that vacuousness was on full display in a column headed “With the royals at war, let’s plan our republic’. 

He does not get off to a good start: 

“If you like laws and...