Kevin Rudd sworn into office

Well, it has happened. Kevin Rudd is Prime Minister.
Before he swore Kevin in, the G-G "accepted the resignation" (submitted previously, and privately) by John Howard.

The Governor-General's Website carries an announcement by Malcolm Hazell, Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. It includes the following:

• Earlier this morning, the Governor-General signed the instrument appointing Mr Rudd as Prime Minister and administered the Oath of Office to Mr Rudd, making him Australia's 26th Prime Minister since Federation. The Governor-General also administered the Oath of a Federal Executive Councillor to Mr Rudd, which brings with it the courtesy title of “The Honourable”.

and:

• Today's ceremony involves taking the Oath or Affirmation of Office, required to be taken by all Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries and, for those being appointed for the first time, the Executive Councillor's Oath.
  
• The Executive Council derives from Section 62 of the Constitution which provides “There shall be a Federal Executive Council to advise the Governor-General and the Government of the Commonwealth, and the Members of the Council shall be chosen and summoned by the Governor-General and sworn as Executive Councillors, and shall hold office during his pleasure”.

This bizarre ritual is a timely reminder that we are not really a sovereign nation.

We have not elected our own Prime Minister. He has been appointed by the Governor-General, who himself is not elected, but appointed - by - you guess it, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

The power resides in the antiquated body known as the Executive Council. The business of Government, even Parliamentary proceedings, are a sham, or perhaps better expressed, a smoke screen. No political actions have effect until the G-G, sitting in the Executive Council makes that formal declaration.

Its time to remedy all this foreign dependency nonsense, folks. Stand up, Australia, and take control of your own affairs.