Cold one for the king

...an Aussie welcome, that is!

- ANDY LINES

DESPITE a poll showing a decline in support for republicans Down Under, Victoria's Jacinta Allan yesterday added her name to the list of state premiers giving the King and Queen the cold shoulder.

Ms Allan said she could not attend their reception in Canberra next week because she had a cabinet meeting.

Her deputy premier, Ben Carroll, has also refused to go, leaving Ms Allan's parliamentary secretary, Nick Staikos, to represent the state.

All the other state premiers have ducked out, too, with similarly feeble excuses - leading to accusations that they are "playing politics".

Queensland premier Steven Miles said he was too busy working on his election campaign to attend, while Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff said he was on a US trade mission.

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas and New South Wales premier Chris Minns also trotted out the cabinet meeting excuse, while a spokesman for Western Australia's premier, Roger Cook, said he had "other commitments".

Bev McArthur, of the pro-royal Australian Monarchists League, called the snubs a "slap in the face" for the Royal Family.

She told the Herald Sun in Melbourne: "All premiers and ministers have sworn allegiance to our monarch, Charles III, and it is a monumental insult that they now spit in his hand extended in friendship.

"This is a historic opportunity to unite Australia, to focus on charitable work and to give back to communities.

"Yet our immature politicians are clearly choosing to play politics." Royal sources called the snubs "deeply unprofessional" but insisted it would not affect the tour.