Republic Referendum Not on Government or Coalition Agenda during Election Campaign

There has been little to say, and little said, about the Republic in the lead up to the 3 May federal election. Campaigning started in late January and filled the airwaves until late April. The Prime Minister explicitly ruled out holding any referendums if his government were returned for a second term (no doubt, burnt by the The Voice referendum result) while the Opposition Leader was more expansive proposing several referendums in his first term but none were on topics remotely connected to changing the country’s system of government to a parliamentary democracy and severing constitutional ties with the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, “the Republic” has become merely a “gotcha” question asked of leaders on the campaign trail by inexperienced journalists – everyone knows what the answer is going to be!