The Australian government has indicated that it has put on hold a proposal to hold a vote on removing King Charles III as its head of state.
It is a longstanding policy of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to hold a referendum on becoming a republic.
But a minister has told local media that such a vote is “not a priority” and there is “no timeline” for it.
The government last week said it was expecting a visit from the king “later this year”.
The prime minister enjoyed a “warm relationship” with Charles, a government spokesperson said in a statement to The Australian. Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm the trip.
The comments follow last year’s defeat for the government in a separate referendum, in which Australians overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give greater political rights to Indigenous people.
All six states voted against a proposal to amend the constitution to recognise First Nations people. Proponents said this would have ushered in a new era, but opponents called it divisive.
Asked over the weekend about the government’s plans for another referendum – on becoming a republic – a government minister told The Australian the issue was currently “not a priority”.
Pressed further on the topic on ABC on Monday, Assistant Minister for the Republic Matt Thistlethwaite said there was “no timeline”. He instead highlighted the need to tackle cost-of-living issues.
Like people in other nations, Australians have been suffering the effects of high inflation and rising interest rates.
But Thistlethwaite said he was “not giving up”, and it was still the plan of the governing Labor Party for Australia to break away from the UK Royal Family “longer term”. (BBC)
