He told Insiders, “I think I’ve made it clear that I wanted to hold one referendum while I was prime minister, and we did that”, referring to the 2023 referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which nearly 60 per cent of Australians rejected.
But experts agree Albanese has made the right call. And here’s why.
‘No political gain’ in referendum
He suggests Labor should not have gone ahead with the Voice referendum once it became clear that the Coalition was going to oppose it.
He said it’s political capital the prime minister is not willing to squander, with “no political gain” from another referendum, especially amid longer-term aspirations.
Williams said the niche issue was not worth turning off voters, or worse, providing the Coalition with ammunition to claim that Albanese is focused on issues that don’t matter.
Do voters support a republic?
Despite the data, Esther Anatolitis, co-chair of the Australian Republic Movement, said it was a surprising move, given Albanese’s long-term advocacy for a republic, and insisted there was growing support.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II led to a resurgence of support for the constitutional monarchy in Australia. Source: AP / Alastair Grant
“The Republic movement itself is growing. We’ve got people who are really, really interested in that everyday conversation about Australian democratic reform,” Anatolitis told the ABC.
