: I much prefer that politicians devote their
: time, and energy resolving the day, to day
: issues that confront their electorate...than
: worry themselves into an early grave over
: the design, and colour of their national
: flag, and the date of Australia Day.

LOL.

[Straw man: an intentionally misrepresented proposition that is set up because it is easier to defeat than an opponent's real argument.]

My argument, such as it is, is that a national conversation about these issues is worth having for lots of reasons not because it will 'change the past' or that it will risk worrying politicians into an 'early grave'.

: The death of Queen Elizabeth 11 will be the
: appropriate moment to decide on a new flag,

The reasons you hint at above for not changing the flag or the day will not change because the queen dies.

Notwithstanding the respect I believe most Australians have for the queen, I'd like to think we had enough self esteem as a nation to have the discussion when it suited us.

: and vote into being a Republican
: constitution...meantime, I am rather certain
: that Australia will continue to flourish
: under its current flag, and constitution.

I'm also confident that our capacity to flourish won't be adversely affected by having an open, robust discussion about such issues now.

In fact, it's arguably one of our strengths as a nation: we can have strong discussions about matters of national importance and still remain relatively civil.

Europe, on the other hand, has made brutal civil wars an art form.

And even in the 'new world', the US asserted their independence with violence and a century later slaughtered each other.

Ultimately the nature of the discussion and the timing is in our hands. Appropriately.