Anthony Albanese has no plans for a republic referendum after meeting the King at Balmoral Castle. Photo / Getty Images
Anthony Albanese has no plans for a republic referendum after meeting the King at Balmoral Castle. Photo / Getty Images
Australia’s Prime Minister has said that he has no intention of holding a referendum on whether the country should become a republic, following a meeting with the King at Balmoral Castle.
Anthony Albanese pledged not to revisit the issue, despite being an avowed republican himself.
He said his Government hadmore pressing concerns to address, such as the cost-of-living crisis, with rising rents and property prices.
Albanese made the remarks in an interview on Sunday, a day after meeting the monarch in the Scottish Highlands.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he was asked if he had raised the prospect of Australia one day ditching the King as head of state.
“No, and I think I’ve made it clear that I wanted to hold one referendum while I was prime minister, and we did that.”
That was a reference to his failed referendum in 2023 on an initiative called a Voice to Parliament, which would have established a constitutional body representing Aboriginal people to advise the federal Parliament.
Instead of holding a referendum on Australia becoming a republic, Albanese said his centre-left Labor Government was “concentrating on cost of living, and on making a real practical difference to people’s lives”.
He was asked if he found it odd that he had to travel all the way to Scotland to “visit the King of Australia”.
Albanese said that the King was “fully aware” of his republican stance, adding: “But I also respect the decisions which have been made and our system of government, and I think that’s important.”
The Prime Minister was also asked whether he believed the British monarchy still had a role to play in Australia and replied with a glowing tribute to the royal family.
“Their majesties, when they visited Australia recently, King Charles and Queen Camilla were very well received,” he said.
“They work hard. They’re interested in our place in the world. They’re very interested in the Commonwealth … and I think they are respected.”
King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Sydney Opera House. Photo / Getty Images
Majority back status quo
A referendum was held in 1999 about whether Australia should become a republic, but it was rejected by 55% of voters, and surveys show that a majority of Australians would still rather stick with the status quo.
When King Charles visited in October 2024, a Roy Morgan poll found 57% of Australians surveyed believed the country should remain a constitutional monarchy, while 43% said Australia should become a republic with an elected president.
Albanese spoke in 2020 of “the need for us to have an Australian head of state … the need for us to stand on our own two feet”.
Despite his views, since becoming Prime Minister in 2022 he has pledged allegiance to the King and said he would put the referendum issue on the backburner.
The Prime Minister was greeted by bagpipers when he touched down at RAF Lossiemouth on Saturday.
He later posted a picture of himself standing beside the King, with the caption: “An honour to meet with you today, Your Majesty.”
The encounter at Balmoral came a day after Albanese met Sir Keir Starmer. The Australian premier is set to speak at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, underlining the close links between his party and Labour.
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