In Canberra and Wellington, the opponents of the monarchy feel an upswing. The prime ministers of both countries are sympathetic to a move to the republic – but urge patience.
It only took a few hours for the initial shock at the death of the Queen to turn into a political debate about Australia’s future. Adam Bandt, leader of the Green Party, ended his condolences Twitter with the words: “We must become a republic.”
More than a week has passed since then. In hardly a day did Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tire of emphasizing that now is not the time to debate Australia’s future as a republic. Rather, this is a historic moment of sadness and respect for a queen who was the first and only monarch to visit Australia.
Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II
Our thoughts are with her family and all who loved her.
Now Australia must move forward.
We need Treaty with First Nations people, and we need to become a Republic.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) September 8, 2022
Since then, many Australians have been Elizabethians rather than staunch monarchists, as the future Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull once observed. Turnbull, a Republican and, according to his own statements, a great sympathizer of the Queen, failed in 1999 as chairman of the Republican movement with a referendum on the end of the monarchy. As long as Queen Elizabeth II is alive, a new vote is completely hopeless, he said as Prime Minister.
While media reports in 2017 speculated about a majority of Australian governors for another referendum, according to the research company Ipsos, approval ratings reached a record low in 2021. Only 34 percent of those surveyed had spoken out in favor of an end to the monarchy.
While the Queen’s likeness adorned the facade of the Sydney Opera House these days and Parliament is down for two weeks in mourning, prominent Republicans such as Turnbull and John Warhurst now see a time of change. The Republican Movement in Australia wants to prepare a discussion paper in the coming months, in which details of a possible referendum would be presented, the Australian television station SBS reported.
However, it is unclear whether a majority can be found for this. The research company Roy Morgan published a first poll on Tuesday, in which around 60 percent of those polled said they wanted the monarchy to continue.
Referendum in Albanese’ second term?
In New Zealand, too, the Queen’s death has led to discussions about the future of the country. She believes that New Zealand could become a republic in her lifetime; However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made it clear that she is not planning to abolish the monarchy during her term of office, calming the debate at least for the moment.
In Australia, on the other hand, the discussion may not come to an end any time soon – this also has to do with Albanese itself. The 59-year-old Labor Party politician is considered a supporter of the Republican movement. When appointing his cabinet, he made his party colleague Matt Thistlethwaite Secretary of State and quickly created an entirely new area of responsibility for him. Thistlethwaite is said to be working on the possible realization of a republic in the coming years.
The long-term goal of holding another referendum on the end of the monarchy has since seemed clear. And yet, according to Albanese, the question of the change to the republic is not an immediate one, but rather arises in a possible second term. Other constitutional amendments are now on the agenda, for which the prime minister is also fighting for majorities.
Criticism of the British Colonial Era
In the next three years, his government wants to hold a vote on the recognition of indigenous communities. This would require a change in the constitution, in which the indigenous population has not been recognized until now. This referendum is a great opportunity for Australia, Albanese wrote on Twitter.
We see this referendum as a magnificent opportunity for Australia. pic.twitter.com/44xhoeq6Ww
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 30, 2022
Similar to Australia, there has also been massive criticism in New Zealand of how the British kingdom treats indigenous peoples. “The British Empire and the power of the monarchy were built on stolen land, resources and treasure,” Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi told New Zealand’s parliament.