Australia has decided to abandon plans for a referendum on transitioning to a republic and replacing King Charles as the head of state.
The 75-year-old monarch, set to travel to Australia around the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, is reportedly delighted by this favorable turn of events.
The Australian government, in an official statement, cited the inability to afford another constitutional reform vote as the reason for scrapping the referendum plans.
On Monday, Matt Thistlewaite announced the government's decision to abandon the vote, dispelling rumors of its occurrence next year. Thistlewaite emphasized that the current priority is addressing the cost of living, stating, "I'm not going to put a timetable on it. At the moment, our priority is the cost of living, and that's the appropriate thing for the government to be concentrating on."
A recent YouGov poll revealed that 35 percent of Australians prefer maintaining the constitutional monarchy, while 32 percent support transitioning to a republic.
This news precedes King Charles and Queen Camilla's anticipated trip later this year in October. The visit marks the first time a ruling monarch has journeyed to Australia since the late Queen Elizabeth II's visit in October 2011.
