Prince Charles takes Labor’s Australian head of state push with ‘good grace’: Bill Shorten

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Prince Charles has taken Labor’s push for an Australian head of state with “good grace”.

Prince Charles, right, with Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten. Picture: AAP.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Prince Charles has taken Labor’s push for an Australian head of state with “good grace” during their recent meeting in Australia.

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla visited Australia in early April for their official duties at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Labor has committed to a national vote on Australia becoming a republic during the first term if they are successful at the next election.

Mr Shorten said he would like to see Australia stay in the commonwealth.

“When I met with Prince Charles, I indicated that my government, if we were elected, would have an ongoing support for the Commonwealth,” he said.

“We would stay in the Commonwealth. But I also explained to him that we could remain in the Commonwealth and still have an Australian head of state.”

Mr Shorten said it was “long past the hour” for Australia to have its own head of state.

“If Prince Charles is the head of the Commonwealth, then we’ll still have an ongoing connection with the United Kingdom.”

“But the fact of the matter is that after over 200 years of European settlement, as we approach the close of the second decade of the 21st century, our country is ready for our own head of state. Prince Charles took that in good grace,” he said.

A Newspoll survey based on 1639 interviews recently found 50 per cent of voters would back Australia becoming a republic, with 9 per cent uncommitted.

Opposition to a change hardened, however, with 41 per cent of voters now saying they would stick with the constitutional monarchy.

Prince Charles departs Australia from the RAAF Military base in Darwin. Picture: AAP.

But, as previous surveys have shown, if Prince Charles ascends to the throne, 55 per cent of Australians said they would support a republic, with 35 per cent against and 10 per cent uncommitted.

Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London this week which will focus on the fallout from Brexit and the future role of the Commonwealth.

UK Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn said overnight that the new Head of the Commonwealth should be democratically elected and Prince Charles should not automatically succeed the Queen in the position.

Mr Shorten said, however, he had “no problem” with the Prince taking on the role.

“The custom has always been for Charles, for the monarch to head the Commonwealth Federation. I’ve got no problem with that,” he said.