PM responds to republic referendum question
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will not be holding a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic during his first term.
In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing last Friday, Mr Albanese told Sky News that now was the time to show gratitude for her “service to Australia, the Commonwealth and the world”, not a time to pursue “questions about our constitution”.
"I think the Queen was with Australians during times of celebration - the opening of this house, Parliament House, in 1988, the opening of the Sydney Opera House during our great historic events, but was also with Australia at times of difficulties," he said.
"This is a land of cyclones, of floods, of natural disasters, and Queen Elizabeth always reached out to give that comfort to Australians at our time of need.
"She was such a respected figure, regardless of where people stand on the political spectrum. That 70 years of public service, that devotion to duty, is something that holds her in such high regard."
With the long-reigning monarch’s passing reigniting the debate over whether Australia should stay or leave or leave the Commonwealth, Mr Albanese said he was confident King Charles III would uphold the Queen’s neutrality when it comes to Australia’s politics.
"He's someone who has a deep relationship with Australia. I hope that he is able to visit here on an occasion as soon as possible,” Mr Albanese continued.
"This, of course, is a substantial change. The only monarch that we have known in my lifetime, and in the lifetime of most Australians, has been Queen Elizabeth."
When asked about whether Australians want to see the institution of the monarchy evolve, he said it has and will continue to do so.
“It will need to continue to move with the times,” he added.
"But the bigger questions about our constitution are not ones for this current period. This is a period in which we are sharing the grief that so many Australians are feeling at the moment, showing our deep respect and admiration for the contribution of the Queen to Australia.
"It's a sad time. There's also a time to celebrate what is a long life, well lived."
Mr Albanese added that the Queen’s reign saw “more change than any era in human history”.
“The nature of technology and the way that it's transformed the way that our society functions, Queen Elizabeth was able to change with that that times in terms of her interactions with the public,” he said.
“And King Charles will, I'm sure, do the same."
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