Republic won’t happen as long as No campaign exists: Nova Peris

Australia will never replace the British monarchy as long as there is a No campaign against the constitutional change, the Republican Movement’s co-chairwoman Nova Peris warns.

Nova Peris. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Australia will never replace the British monarchy with its own head of state as long as there is a No campaign against constitutional change, the Republican Movement’s co-chairwoman, Nova Peris, warns.

The former Olympian and ex-Labor senator’s comments come as Anthony Albanese rebuffs calls to put a republic referendum back on the agenda, saying it would be a “matter for Australians” if a vote were held while he was the nation’s leader.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian, Ms Peris said it was disappointing that defeat in the referendum for an Indigenous voice to parliament – of which she was a staunch advocate – had contributed to putting a republic vote on ice.

Ms Peris said a republic referendum should not be held and would inevitably fail if there were a No campaign standing in the way of it.

She said Australia’s most successful referendum occurred in 1967, “when there was no No campaign”.

“We need a campaign where everyone says yes,” she said.

Ms Peris said it was up to the leaders to come to a bipartisan agreement on a republic before it was put to a vote, saying “both people at the top need to be in agreeance with it”.

When Australians last voted on becoming a republic, in 1999, then prime minister John Howard, strongly opposed replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and the referendum was heavily defeated.

Ms Peris added that past No campaigns, which were filled with “misinformation”, are what have contributed to Australians’ fears of holding a second referendum in such a short period, saying “people are scared of change”. “Truth is important,” she said.

“I think we are a big enough country now to show up for independence and do what’s right for future generations.”

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister told reporters a republic referendum was on hold for now, following the defeat of the voice to parliament last year.

“I committed to one referendum,” he said. “We held it. It wasn’t successful, and I think that was disappointing.”

Ms Peris, the first Indigenous woman to sit in the Senate, said she would still advocate strongly for a republic, and said other Commonwealth nations showed a way forward on change.

“There’s 15 countries that are still connected to the monarchy,” Ms Peris told The Australian. “In the next couple of years, Australia’s going to be dwindling down to the last five or six countries, because a lot of the Caribbean are saying, ‘No, we want our independence’.”

In 2021, Barbados became the first country to transition to a republic since Mauritius in 1992. Officials in at least six other Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas and Belize, have indicated their intent to leave the monarchy.

“I think Australia has been very respectful with our connectedness (to the Commonwealth),” Ms Peris said. “We don’t lose it as part of our history, but at the end of the day I think we’re big and bold enough now to become … independent.”

Anthony Albanese.

Assistant Minister for a Republic Matt Thistlethwaite has no timeline on when Labor will pursue a referendum on dumping the British monarch as Australia’s head of state.

“I’m not going to put a timeline on it,” he told the ABC last week. “At the moment, our priority is cost of living and that’s the appropriate thing for the government to be concentrating on.”

He said his portfolio was still needed as it was still Labor’s ambition for the “longer term”.

“I’m certainly committed to and still passionate about Australia, hopefully, having one day one of our own as our head of state, and I’ll continue to perform that important work as an assistant to the Attorney-General,” he said.

“We know that, unfortunately, the voice referendum wasn’t successful, but we’re not giving up. It’s a longer-term priority.”