Mainstream media in Australia is taking a caning through the Internet over its treatment of what is now being accepted
as one of the most popular Royal tours of Australia since 1954. John Howard reports.
The Queen and Prince Philip continue to draw large crowds as they tour NSW despite attacks by mainstream media on Prince
Philip.
The Internet is being used by the Australian Monarchist League to counter mainstream media's reportage.
National Chairman of the Monarchists, Philip Benwell said, " Over the years we have become used to the Australian and
foreign media refusing to accept that our country is a democracy and that our people, just a few months ago, voted to
reject a republic.
The Australian mainstream media has attacked Prince Philip following his visit to the campus cheese factory at Charles
Sturt University in the NSW town of Wagga Wagga.
Mr Benwell said, "The factory staff were delighted at being able to organise a full experimental run of cheese
production for the Prince. The production was never designed to be sold and was solely for student training purposes."
" The staff were fully aware of the need for police security dogs to go through the factory and it was never intended
that the Prince should wear protective clothing. The question of the Prince wearing such clothing was rejected by State
officials as consuming too much time."
"Even after the media were made aware of the facts they continued to cast blame on Prince Philip reporting that he had
refused to don protective clothing and a 200 kilogram batch of cheese had to be consigned to the rubbish bin because of
it. That is simply not true," Mr Benwell said.
"We are also becoming sick and tired of being told by the media that this is the last Royal tour to Australia by The
Queen."
"We reject the arrogant assertion that Australians really didn't know what they were doing and that whichever way they
voted for the republic they didn't want to vote for the Monarchy. We therefore resent the downgrading and even
manipulation of estimates of crowds turning up to see the Queen."
The new media of the Internet is reporting that larger crowds than expected are turning out to see the Royal couple much
to the astonishment of the mainstream media.
"Tragically, we are told the way the media is reporting the tour is the politically correct way of doing things and we
must accept it. However, we do not accept it and thank God for the Internet." Mr Benwell concluded.