A push to break away from the monarchy will have to be driven by regular Australians, an advocate has said, after the government distanced itself from the republican effort.
The role of assistant minister for the republic was scrapped in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's ministerial reshuffle on Sunday, but Australian Republic Movement co-chair Nathan Hansford said an appetite for independence remained.
"We've known for a long time that a referendum on an Australian republic was not really on the cards in this term of government," he told AAP.
