Anthony Albanese douses untimely talk of a fiver without Charles

Julian Leeser has broken ranks with shadow cabinet colleagues and demanded Anthony Albanese replace the image of Queen Elizabeth II on the $5 note with King Charles III.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Julian Leeser has broken ranks with shadow cabinet colleagues and demanded Anthony Albanese replace the image of Queen Elizabeth II on the $5 note with King Charles III.

Mr Leeser made the demand after The Australian revealed the Australian Republic Movement would campaign for the late Queen’s image to be removed from the $5 note, while also urging the government to reconsider using King Charles III’s image on coins from next year.

“In the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, King Charles is our new sovereign and he deserves the respect of the federal government,” Mr Leeser tweeted.

“The Labor government should commit to having King Charles on our $5 notes.”

Assistant Treasury Minister Andrew Leigh has left open the option of replacing the Queen on the $5 with an Australian visage.

Mr Leeser’s call for the King to replace the Queen on the $5 note is at odds with senior colleagues who aren’t being drawn on the issue.

Former assistant treasurer Stuart Robert said it was “not the time for debate of this kind”. “This is a debate for another day,” he said.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said it was “not an appropriate time to be having this conversation given we are mourning the loss of Her Majesty who served our nation for the past 70 years”.

On Wednesday, Anthony Albanese refused to say what should happen to the $5 note.

“Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is next Monday. My focus isn’t on who is on the $5 note,” the Prime Minister said.

Ahead of leaving for Britain on Thursday, Mr Albanese said representatives from four Pacific Island countries – Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Samoa – had accepted Australia’s offer of flights to London to attend the Queen’s funeral.

But the government is yet to hear whether dignitaries from six other Pacific countries with Commonwealth links will join them.

“We offered passage to senior representatives from all 10 Pacific countries that are Commonwealth members,” Mr Albanese said, adding: “Final lists are being settled.”

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, whose relationship with Australia has been strained since his controversial ­security pact with China, will not be on the flight. He is sending the country’s Governor-General, David Vunagi, in his place.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape is expected to be on the flight, along with the Governors-General of PNG and Tuvalu, and Samoa’s President.

Mr Albanese said this week that a smaller RAAF aircraft had already been dispatched to pick up an unnamed Pacific Island leader “from one of the very small island nations” to return to Australia for the flight to London.

Mr Albanese was in Sydney on Wednesday with NSW Premer Dominic Perrottet to announce that a new public square in the city would be named Queen Elizabeth II Place.

“The naming of this place in her honour is an appropriate and fitting tribute,” Mr Albanese said.

“Regardless of where people stand on other issues, Queen Elizabeth II is someone who was admired, someone who is respected for a life of service to the United Kingdom, to the Commonwealth and to the world.”