The PM’s embrace of tradition after the Queen’s passing may rankle, but rushing into a republican vote could doom the referendum on the Indigenous voice as well.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, didn’t sleep much last Thursday night as he waited on news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Shortly after 6 am on Friday, as long-established protocols for the monarch’s death kicked in, Albanese marked the close of the second Elizabethan age with a somber address to the nation. Deep respect, heartfelt loss, and profound sadness was Albanese’s message.
In the week since the prime minister has grasped instinctively both the historical weight of the moment and the overwhelmingly sympathetic mood of middle Australia towards the Queen.
So what has happened to Albo, the loose unit, the left-wing warrior who used to vow to fight tories and build socialism after breakfast?
Albanese, despite his republican bent, is a self-proclaimed “dork of parliamentary processes”, someone who has deep and genuine respect for the country’s political institutions and the office of prime minister.
He also has a finely tuned radar for political strategy.
In the days following the Queen’s death, Albanese has transcended politics and the personal, knowing that he has the prime ministerial part to play in this significant if pre-scripted, moment of Australian history.
“At a time like this, my job is to represent the nation, and to represent our views, to follow the protocols I’ve done. I think there is really something to be said for following the traditions which are there,” Albanese said on Thursday.
“I know I’ve been asked a few times about the debate about the monarchy and those issues. This isn’t the time for that. This is the time to pay respect to Queen Elizabeth, to give thanks for the extraordinary service for 70 years – it has been a remarkable life.”
Albanese’s praise of Queen Elizabeth II has rankled republicans, who are concerned that the prospect of an Australian head of state – which many declared impossible while the Queen lived – is deemed too sensitive to debate now the Queen is dead.