Albanese announces public holiday to mark Queen’s death

Albanese announces public holiday to mark Queen’s death

Albanese announces public holiday to mark Queen’s death


By David Crowe
September 11, 2022 — 9.47am

Australia will mark the death of Queen Elizabeth with a public holiday on Thursday, September 22, as part of a national memorial service to be held in Canberra that day, following her funeral in London.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the public holiday on Sunday morning after consulting state and territory leaders on a day of mourning for people to pay their respects.


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Australians given public holiday to mourn Queen









Australians will be given September 22 as a public holiday to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Albanese said his views on a republic were well known but added that “now is not the time” to start a new debate over the constitutional change when many Australians were grieving the loss of Queen Elizabeth and marking the accession to the throne of King Charles.

“This is a time of national mourning that we’re engaged with and Thursday the 22nd will be an opportunity for the nation to come together,” he said.
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The government said on Sunday that 13,700 people had signed the Australian online condolence book since the death of the Queen.

Albanese and federal ministers will hold a meeting as the executive council at Government House at Yarralumla at 11am on Sunday to recommend to Governor-General David Hurley that he proclaim King Charles as sovereign.

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The formal decision in Canberra follows the meeting between King Charles and the Privy Council at St James Palace on Saturday and the proclamation in London soon afterwards.

The Governor-General will read the proclamation in the forecourt of Parliament House at noon on Sunday.

Albanese will fly to London with the Governor-General this Thursday night to attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday and meet the King.

He will return on Wednesday, September 21, in time for the memorial service in Australia the next day.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton supported the idea of a public holiday to mark the national memorial service.


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The reign of Queen Elizabeth II









After a reign lasting 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at age 96.
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The government has offered New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and leaders from Pacific Island states that are part of the commonwealth help to travel to London for the funeral, with the entire Royal Australian Air Force VIP fleet currently in Canberra to prepare for the task.

“Those arrangements are being worked through at the moment,” Albanese told the ABC’s Insiders program.

“For some of these states, it is difficult for them to get there. There are still restrictions on international travel. There aren’t the number of flights that would normally have been available pre-COVID. So, as part of our support for our Pacific Island neighbours, we’re offering that.”

Asked about a republic, Albanese told Insiders that Queen Elizabeth had “made it clear that Australia is in charge of our own destiny” but he avoided further comment.

Dutton also said the debate over a republic was for another day, but he emphasised the stability of the constitutional monarchy and Westminster system in Australia.

“At the moment, we mourn the loss of an incredible world leader, a woman who was obviously an amazing role model to many women, to many female leaders across the world,” he said on Insiders.

“We need a King as much as we did a Queen because we have a stability in our system that served us well and I don’t believe in disrupting that.”

Former prime minister John Howard described Queen Elizabeth as “the best imaginable constitutional monarch” and said there was a “keener appreciation” of the value of the monarchy because of the instability in other countries.

“People look around the world at the moment and the alternative governance systems on offer, even in democracies, don’t look all that flash on occasions,” he said.

“I think the strength and durability and the flexibility of the constitutional monarchy is something that more people appreciate than is imagined.
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“But that’s obviously a debate that will continue to be held. It’s the sort of debate that never stops. That is fair enough. It’s a democracy. People can argue for change.”

Albanese will be joined at the executive council meeting on Sunday by 16 ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Affairs Minister and Senate leader Penny Wong and Trade Minister and deputy Senate leader Don Farrell, ensuring the top four members of the Labor leadership team are in attendance.

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All ministers, including assistant ministers, are members of the executive council, the key group given the role of advising the Governor-General in the constitution. The other ministers attending on Sunday are: Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke, Health Minister Mark Butler, Government Services Minister Bill Shorten, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, Resources Minister Madeleine King, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, Assistance Climate Change Minister Jenny McAllister, Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney and the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman.