Anti-coronation protest leader hits out at police over arrests

Graham Smith said Met officers should hang their heads in shame after 52 detained in central London

Police who arrested anti-monarchy protesters before King Charles III’s coronation have “destroyed whatever trust might have existed between peaceful protesters and the Metropolitan police,” the chief executive of the campaign group Republic has said.

After six members of the group were arrested at about 7.30am on Saturday – before their protest had begun – and had their placards seized, Graham Smith said officers “should hang their heads in shame” and that police had shown “no judgment, no common sense and no basic decency”.

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Commonwealth Indigenous leaders demand apology from the king for effects of colonisation

Exclusive: Aboriginal Olympian Nova Peris says ‘change begins with listening’ as campaigners from 12 countries ask for ‘process of reparatory justice to commence’

Australians have joined Indigenous leaders and politicians across the Commonwealth to demand King Charles III make a formal apology for the effects of British colonisation, make reparations by redistributing the wealth of the British crown, and return artefacts and human remains.

Days out from Charles’s coronation in London, campaigners for republic and reparations movements in 12 countries have written a letter asking the new monarch to start a process towards “a formal apology and for a process of reparatory justice to commence”.

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What coronation? Many Australians don’t know when it’s on and few seem inclined to recite the oath

Guardian Australia encounters a mix of apathy, indignation and enthusiasm on the streets of Melbourne and Sydney

King Charles III is just days away from his coronation but you wouldn’t know it from the mood on Australia’s streets.

Many people Guardian Australia spoke to in the lead-up to Saturday’s coronation didn’t know it was coming up – and certainly had no intention of pledging allegiance to the king from their couch, as the public will be invited to do.

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Australia news live: seizure of $270m worth of heroin is Queensland’s biggest; RBA interest rates decision due

Australians will find out at 2.30pm AEST whether the Reserve Bank will pause its interest rates hikes after 10 consecutive rises. Follow the day’s news live

Australia’s new high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, says becoming a republic is “inevitable” even if Australians are proud to have the British monarch as their head of state.

In his first interview since taking up the post, Smith told the Times newspaper that most British people would be “indifferent” to Australia getting rid of the monarchy and it would not damage the countries’ relationship.

There is a lot of affection and respect for the monarchy in Australia.

That affection and respect hasn’t gone away because of Australia contemplating from time to time what it should do about its constitutional arrangements.

My personal view is it’s inevitable. But how that’s progressed is entirely a matter for the Australian government of the day.

Our public-sector workers do a great job serving their fellow Victorians and we’re proud to support them. In addition to wage increases, workers will be able to obtain a sign-on bonus while productivity improvements will bring the potential for further advancement of conditions.

The policy provides fair outcomes for employees while being responsible as we deal with the types of budget challenges faced by families, businesses and governments across the world.

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‘Socialism sucks’ stickers on display as CPAC Australia stokes fears of Indigenous voice

Speaker after speaker – after wheeling out standard complaints about progressive politicians – poured scorn on the voice concept

Saturday’s CPAC conference in Sydney showed Australia’s political right is gearing up for a fight against the government’s proposed Indigenous voice to parliament – and highlighted the potential political perils of Anthony Albanese keeping many details of the constitutional change out of the public arena for now.

The Conservative Political Action Conference filled a small corner of the International Convention Centre, bringing a mixed assortment of federal senators, rightwing media personalities and international guests together for an audience of around 900. A hodge-podge of topics boiled down to broad grievances around “cancel culture”, “shadow banning” and “wokeism”; speakers variously criticised the “conservative cowardice” of Coalition politicians, the mainstream media and talk of “white privilege”.

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Peter FitzSimons to step down as ARM chair as Abetz attacks republic campaign’s ‘elitism’

The author and journalist says his exit will pave the way for younger, more diverse voices

The chairman of the Australian Republic Movement, Peter FitzSimons, has announced he will step down from the role, paving the way for younger, more diverse voices to take the reins.

But the Australian Monarchist League says a change of leadership won’t revive the campaign or change how “elite” it is.

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Labor says time is coming for republic debate as monarchists claim it’s giving itself a ‘head start’

Albanese government says Indigenous voice is its priority and any move away from monarchy is not going to come quickly

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The Albanese government has told a leading monarchist group that “the time is coming” for Australia to discuss becoming a republic, angering supporters of the British crown who claim Labor is giving itself a head start on a future referendum campaign.

But the government has also conceded that any move away from the monarchy is not going to come quickly, instead inviting monarchist groups to join the current campaign for an Indigenous voice to parliament.

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Guardian Essential poll: Australians divided on whether King Charles should be head of state

Survey respondents split 50-50 but women, older voters and Coalition supporters more likely to back new monarch, poll suggests

Australians are divided over whether King Charles III should be the country’s head of state, with the latest Guardian Essential poll suggesting a 50-50 split between those who support the new UK monarch and those who do not.

The survey of 1,075 people, taken after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, gives little hope to the republican cause with fewer than half of the respondents (43%) supporting Australia becoming a republic – a figure that has barely moved over the past five years.

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Julia Gillard says Australia will ultimately become republic after death of Queen Elizabeth II

Former PM endorses Anthony Albanese’s view to wait on debate, saying ‘no rush’ on moving away from British head of state

Julia Gillard says Australia will ultimately become a republic but has endorsed the prime minister, Anthony Albanese’s view it is too soon for the debate.

The former Australian prime minister told the ABC, in her first interview since the Queen’s death, that Albanese was right to delay consideration of a republic to a future term of government.

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Australia news live: review into Stuart Ayres over Barilaro hiring finds no breach of ministerial conduct

Ayres stepped aside as deputy NSW Liberal leader and trade minister after a separate report into the controversial trade posting of John Barilaro. Follow all the day’s news live

Australia’s high commissioner to the UK meets with King Charles

Australia’s acting high commissioner to the UK Lynette Wood has had an audience with King Charles III.

Really what matters is we have the best possible person for the job, who can advance Australia’s interests in the best possible way, and that certainly needs a thorough and robust process to choose that person.

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Albanese says ‘inappropriate’ to discuss republic now but doesn’t rule out future referendum

Prime minister says vote to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution comes before any referendum on republic

Anthony Albanese has not ruled out holding a referendum on the republic if he is re-elected, saying only that it was “inappropriate” to discuss while commemorating Queen Elizabeth II.

Albanese made the remarks on Monday in a round of interviews defending plans to hold a national day of mourning public holiday on 22 September.

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Republic debate flares as Australia mourns its longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II

Governor general says Queen ‘a symbol of stability, inspiration and servant leadership’ as PM calls 1954 visit ‘a defining moment in our nation’s history’

The death of Queen Elizabeth II, and the ascension of King Charles III as sovereign, has reanimated republican debate in Australia, as the country formally pays tribute to its longest-serving monarch, “a symbol of stability, inspiration and servant leadership”.

Australia’s governor general, David Hurley, described the late monarch as an “example of selfless service, devotion to duty and compassion”.

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Australian Monarchist League appoints former Liberal senator Eric Abetz as chairman

The group aims to fight the Labor government’s plans to hold a referendum on a republic, should it win a second term

The Australian Monarchist League has called on the services of former Liberal senator Eric Abetz as it aims to fight the Labor government’s plans for a republic.

The staunch monarchist lost his seat at the May federal election after being demoted to third spot on the party’s ticket, ending a 28-year senate career.

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Unions back minimum wage submission – as it happened

Labor government recommends minimum wage be increased in line with inflation; Anthony Albanese says stopping new gas projects ‘doesn’t reflect the needs’ of economy; new monkeypox cases reported in NSW and Victoria; nation records at least 50 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed

‘Pick up the phone and call your energy retailer’

The CEO of the Australian Energy Council, Sarah McNamara, appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning to discuss the perfect storm the market is currently facing.

It is not a systemic market failure under way but there is a coincidence of factors occurring in the market, putting pressure on the wholesale price and that will put pressure on retail bills as well.

Most consumers won’t experience the kind of wholesale market price spikes we are seeing at the moment. That is because their retailers have hedging contracts to ensure their supply costs are smoothed out over time. However, because there is general upward pressure on prices, people are going to experience higher bills over the coming year.

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New minister for republic says ‘twilight’ of Queen’s reign chance ‘to discuss what comes next for Australia’

Assistant minister Matt Thistlethwaite says ‘why wouldn’t we appoint an Australian as our pinnacle position?’

The man tasked with overseeing Australia’s transition to a republic says the work done over the next three years will ensure the country is “ready to go in a second term of an Albanese government”.

Matt Thistlethwaite was on Wednesday sworn in as assistant minister for the republic by the Queen’s representative in Australia, the governor general, David Hurley.

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Royal observers wonder if the Queen will ever return to full duties

‘To be running around like a 65-year-old when you’re 95 catches up with you,’ says author Penny Junor

When the Queen tested positive for Covid at the age of 95, it made headlines around the world.

Buckingham Palace initially said she would carry on working but was soon forced to concede she needed rest and cancelled a series of virtual engagements.

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Meghan admits aide gave biography authors information with her knowledge

Duchess of Sussex apologises for misleading court, stating she forgot she had authorised PR chief to brief Finding Freedom authors

The Duchess of Sussex has apologised in court for failing to remember authorising a senior aide to brief the authors of her and Harry’s unofficial biography.

Meghan submitted a statement to the court in which she said she could not remember emails between her and her then press secretary, Jason Knauf, about the unauthorised book.

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Prince Charles’s letter to John Kerr reportedly endorsing sacking of Whitlam condemned

Historian Jenny Hocking and Australian Republican Movement say letter inappropriate

A newly revealed letter, reportedly from Prince Charles to former Australian governor general Sir John Kerr endorsing his decision to dismiss prime minister Gough Whitlam, has been condemned as “inappropriate”.

The letter, which was published by News Corp on Saturday, is dated 27 March 1976 – several months after the constitutional crisis as Kerr was facing a fierce backlash by the Australian public.

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‘Better for Her Majesty not to know’: palace letters reveal Queen’s role in sacking of Australian PM Whitlam

Governor general John Kerr canvassed Queen and her personal secretary about his powers to dismiss Gough Whitlam but did not forewarn them

Secret correspondence between Buckingham Palace and the governor general of Australia reveal discussion of a “last resort” option to dismiss then prime minister Gough Whitlam, but the final decision on the sacking was kept from the Queen as it “was better for Her Majesty not to know in advance”.

The historic trove of letters between the Queen, her representatives, and then governor general John Kerr in the lead-up to Whitlam’s dismissal clearly shows the extent to which the palace was drawn into Kerr’s 1975 plans to remove the Labor leader from office.

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