Julia Gillard throws weight behind republic debate, but warns it won’t be “quick”

Discussion to scrap King Charles III as Australia’s head of state could begin as soon as next week, a former PM has said.

Australia could begin debating whether to become a republic as soon as the mourning period for the Queen ends, former prime minister Julia Gillard has said.

But the self-described republican doesn’t expect a referendum to be held any time soon.

“I always thought that when the Queen did leave us that it would cause a period of reflection,” she told the ABC.

“I think we can have a measured, steady discussion which will ultimately take us, I think, in the direction of a republic. But it won’t be quick.”

Former prime minister Julia Gillard joked about her interaction with the Queen. (Photo by ANDREW MEARES / POOL / AFP)

Ms Gillard reflected on her memories of the Queen and paid tribute to her “stoicism” and humour.

“We were in this big queue waiting to go on stage, moving very slowly. So I said to her, ‘Can I get someone to get you a chair?’ And she was like, ‘No, I’m fine to stand,’” the former prime minister said.

“And I’m like, that’s really a pity because if someone had got you a chair, someone might have brought me a chair.”

Anthony Albanese has repeatedly dismissed questions over the future of the monarchy in Australia over the past week.

Speaking with UK’s ITV before departing for the monarch’s funeral, the Prime Minister reiterated he would not entertain the matter in this term of government.

Ms Gillard expects Australia to start debating whether to become a republic within the coming weeks. (Pool Pic )

“We are just paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth at the present time,” he said.

The priority, he said, was to facilitate the referendum for the Voice to parliament and recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution.

Asked if Governor-General David Hurley’s role in Scott Morrison’s secret ministers saga could inform the republic debate, Mr Albanese said the upcoming review would bring more information to light.

“The Governor-General should take advice from the elected Government of the day. The Governor-General did that on this occasion.

“It’s also the case that the Governor-General may have made inquiries of the Prime Minister of the day, those discussions, private discussions and we don’t know, at this point in time, what those discussions entailed.”