There would be no move towards an Australian republic while the Queen remained on the throne, says former prime minister John Howard. He was not saying a politicans' republic would follow the reign; rather he was talking about a serious move to this end. The Australian's video report is embedded below.
"Speaking in Sydney, Mr Howard told a lunch marking the 10th anniversary of the failed republic referendum that the greatest threat to the collective will of Australians today were renewed efforts to introduce a Bill of Rights. The lunch, organised by Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, was held at the Tattersalls Club in Sydney," reported Damien Murphy in The Sydney Morning Herald on 5 November, 2009.
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"Mr Howard delivered the 10th annual Neville Bonner Oration and he called his speech 'The Crowned Republic'. "
"On the republic, he said support for the republic during the referendum campaign in 1999 was driven by "elitists" whose views were rightly rejected by Australian voters. While the push for a republic had declined over the past decade, it would only return to the political agenda with a change of monarch."
"It's well and truly on the backburner and it will stay so while the monarch remains on the throne," Mr Howard said.
"About 300 people attended today's lunch, including radio personality Alan Jones, high-profile monarchist Professor David Flint and a leading face of the "no" campaign during the 1999 republic referendum, Kerry Jones," Mr. Murphy concluded.