Prime Minister Tony Abbott has done the right thing in naming Prince Philip a Knight of the Order of Australia.

There is no better way to jump start the debate about Australian identity and values than giving our most prestigious honour to a 93-year-old man who is married to a queen and also holds the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.

Nothing says Australian like ticking the box Baron as one's honorific.

Leaving aside the jokes, the questions about Abbott's political judgment and whether the Prime Minister is not just enjoying himself on a public holiday by trolling the entire nation, the appointment reminds us, again, of the fact that we are still very much a part of the British Commonwealth.