Government Shelves Plan to End Australia’s Connection to Monarchy

Previously, Labor had said it aimed to hold a republic referendum in its second term if re-elected early next year.

Britain's King Charles III speaks with Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, as he receives realm prime ministers in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace in London, England, on Sept. 17, 2022. Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images

In the wake of a loss in The Voice referendum—in which the Albanese government supported a “yes” vote—Labor’s appetite for another constitutional referendum has evaporated.

Matt Thistlethwaite, assistant minister for the republic, has admitted that a republic referendum was “not a priority” and that Labor, if re-elected, was unlikely to hold a national plebiscite.