Malcolm Turnbull sais Ditch the Crown or Get Left Behind—Republic “More Important Than Ever”
News aggregator using the original AFP Content from FRANCE24 and then edited using Google Gemini AI
Posted on Friday 27 February,2026
SYDNEY – Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull isn’t just dusting off his republican credentials; he’s sharpening them. In a punchy sit-down with AFP this Thursday, the man who once led the 1999 referendum campaign declared that severing ties with the British monarchy is no longer just a sentimental quirk—it’s a dangerous “anachronism” and a necessity for a nation that has outgrown its “colonial training wheels.”
“I think a republic is more important than ever,” Turnbull told AFP. “The monarchy remains this anachronism. It is an absurdity that our head of state is a monarch who lives on the other side of the world.”
From 1999 to Now: A Changing Landscape
Turnbull, who served as Prime Minister from 2015 to 2018, famously saw his 1999 bid to replace the Queen with an Australian head of state go up in flames. However, he believes the 2020s present a vastly different reality.
Nearly three decades on from that poll, the British monarchy is reeling from the unprecedented arrest of ex-prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—the first such event for a royal in the modern era. For Turnbull, this isn’t just a tabloid headline; it’s a symptom of an institution that no longer fits a modern, democratic Australia.
The “Parliamentary Path” to a Republic
While the 1999 push famously tripped over how a president should be chosen, Turnbull believes he has the roadmap to avoid a repeat disaster. His solution? An appointment by Parliament.
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The Logic: A head of state elected by a two-thirds majority of Parliament ensures cross-party support and a “bi-partisan” model.
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The Benefit: This ensures the President is a figure of dignity rather than a career politician, avoiding the “rival power center” to the Prime Minister that critics of direct elections fear.
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The Stability: It maintains the stability of the current Westminster system while finally ending Australia’s status as a “branch office” for a distant sovereign.
The “Tribal” Fix: Healing a Fractured Nation
Perhaps most surprisingly, Turnbull argues that a Republic could be the secret ingredient to fixing Australia’s fractured domestic landscape.
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Healing Division: He suggests an elected head of state—vetted by Parliament—could serve as a unifying figure to heal Australia’s increasingly “tribal” politics.
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National Focus: By moving away from a distant sovereign, the nation can refocus on a shared, local identity.
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National Maturity: He insists that maintaining a hereditary monarch is the final hurdle to true national sovereignty.
Why Now?
The timing of Turnbull’s intervention isn’t accidental. With King Charles III’s reign still finding its footing and the Australian government currently focused on domestic “bread and butter” issues, the republican movement has been searching for a spark.
Turnbull argues that urgency is key: waiting for a “perfect” moment is a recipe for inertia. He believes the public’s appetite for change is higher than polls suggest, provided the model is clear.
Whether current PM Anthony Albanese—who has expressed republican sympathies but parked the issue for now—will take the bait remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Malcolm Turnbull isn’t ready to let the sun set on the Australian Republic just yet. It is time, he says, for Australians to finally become the masters of our own house.
