Australian facing 'more urgent issues' than republic debate

PM Malcolm Turnbull has said there are more urgent
issues facing Australia than the debate on becoming a
republic.
Mr Turnbull, himself a republican, said momentum must
come from the public, and that he did not want to face
another "heroic defeat" in a referendum.
His comments, on Australia Day, come amid mounting
pressure on the government to restart the debate.
The new Australian of the Year, ex-army chief David
Morrison, has said it is time to "have the conversation".
In his acceptance speech on Monday night, Lt Gen
Morrison said the time was right to "at least revisit the
question so that we can stand both free and fully
independent amongst the community of nations".
His speech came hours after all but one of of
Australia's state and territory leaders signed a
document in support of dropping the Queen as head of
state.
Critics have said republicans have yet to propose a
viable alternative to being a constitutional monarchy.
'Timing has to be right'
Australians voted against becoming a republic in a 1999
referendum.
Mr Turnbull - who was leading the republican movement
at that time - said he had "no doubt in the future there
will be another referendum, and the matter will be
decided, as it should be, by the Australian people".
"But the timing of that referendum has to be right," he
said, repeating his view that it should not take place
until the end of the Queen's reign.
"I've led the 'yes' case for a republic into a heroic defeat
once, I've got no desire to do so again," he told
reporters at an Australia Day event in Canberra.
Lt Gen Morrison was named Australian of the Year at a
ceremony in Canberra on Monday in recognition of his
commitment to gender equality.
He famously ordered soldiers who could not accept
women as equals to "get out" of the Australian military
in a speech in 2013.
In his speech, he also praised the outgoing holder of the
title, Rosie Batty, a high-profile campaigner against
domestic violence.
He described her as "the most remarkable woman" who
had "set a benchmark for us all".
The Australian of the Year is nominated by the public
and chosen by a panel, in recognition of their
contribution to Australian society.
As well as an Australian of the Year, there is also a
Senior Australian of the Year (a doctor, Professor
Gordian Fulde, this year), a Young Australian of the Year
(entrepreneurs Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett) and
Australia's Local Hero (Youth educator Dr Catherine
Keenan).