Fed: Republic off the agenda: PM

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2004
Fed: Republic off the agenda: PM

COLAC, Vic, April 20 AAP - The issue of a republic will not be on the agenda for the
Liberal Party at the next federal election, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

Mr Howard said he did not believe the Australian people wanted the issue back on the
table following a referendum four years ago.

"We had a referendum on this four years ago and I don't think the Australian people
want to aggressively revisit it," he told reporters in the Victorian regional town of
Colac today.

"I think it's a waste of focus.

"There are a lot of issues that are more important ... we won't be revisiting it in
this coming election."

The move comes as Labor leader Mark Latham yesterday said that Australians would vote
on a republic by 2007 if he became prime minister.

He said that if Labor won the federal election due later this year, that within the
first 12 months he would hold a plebiscite asking people if they wanted a republic.

He said he believed the push for a republic failed in 1999 because people felt excluded
from the process.

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KEYWORD: HOWARD REPUBLIC

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