Taylah Gray says that the coronation left a sour taste in her mouth. The Indigenous activist joins others in demanding an apology from King Charles III for the impacts of British colonisation. Ms Gray is a lawyer and member of ARM’s Indigenous Advisory Council. She also said “The Crown is a symbol of the lives, lands and resources that have been stripped from First Nations people from across the globe; it represents power and authority but, you know, leadership is not something that should be inherited from your bloodline. Leadership is earned from the people.” She calls for a referendum for Australia to become a republic and believes the country needs its own head of state. It is time to remove the monarchy’s “dishonourable systems from Australia…..numerous petitions to the Queen demanding assistance for the ill condition of our people and….there’s this deafening silence.” Ms Gray believes a referendum “and independence could allow Australia to heal from the effects of colonisation”. [“‘What good is hope?’: Why this young activist wants an apology from King Charles” by Biwa Kwan, SBS News online, 8 May 2023]<\/p>\n\n\n\n