Government Shelves Plan to End Australia’s Connection to Monarchy

In the wake of a loss in The Voice referendum—in which the Albanese government supported a “yes” vote—Labor’s appetite for another constitutional referendum has evaporated. Matt Thistlethwaite, assistant minister for the republic, has admitted it was “not a priority” and that Labor, if re-elected, was unlikely to hold a national plebiscite. That is despite telling ABC News breakfast program on Monday that, “The current method of selecting our head of state is undemocratic [and] doesn’t represent modern Australian values.” However, Mr. Thistlethwaite would not be drawn on a timeframe for seeing whether his views were shared by the majority of Australians, saying, “At the moment, our priority is cost-of-living relief for Australians.”...