Australia swore in its first-ever Assistant Minister for the Republic last week, sparking speculation the new Prime Minister might push for a referendum on becoming a republic.
Anthony Albanese has openly shown his support for transitioning to a republican model.
But according to republic advocate and author Dennis Altman, Australia is unlikely to hold a vote any time soon.
"Anthony Albanese made it very clear during the campaign that his first priority for constitutional change was Indigenous recognition," he told the ABC News Daily podcast.
"That means that the republic, inevitably, is the second order of business.
"In fact, I think he's hinted that it's something that would not even be raised unless there is a second Labor government re-elected in three years' time."
Members of the republican movement celebrated when Sydney Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite was sworn in as Assistant Minister for the Republic. However, it is still unclear what the new position involves.
"It costs nothing to call someone assistant minister for the republic, and it probably warms the cockles of the heart of what I suspect is a declining number of devout republicans, many of whom of course are strong Labor supporters," Mr Altman said.
Mr Thistlethwaite told ABC News Daily his role would initially be one of education.
"[It's about] explaining to people that we do have a foreign monarch as our head of state, we have a proxy representative in the Governor-General, but that we can have an Australian as our head of state," he said.
"An Australian republic is about celebrating our independence and our unique culture and identity."
He also confirmed that establishing a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people was the government's priority, but he wanted to "start the serious conversation once again about what comes next for Australia after Queen Elizabeth's reign ends."
A confusing republican model
Advocates for Australia to become a republic want to remove the Queen as the head of state, and have an Australian citizen elected to the role.
This representative head of state would not set government policy or pass laws, and the role would be mostly ceremonial.
The Australian Republic Movement recently proposed a new model for a republic that would see each state parliament, plus the federal parliament, select a candidate for head of state.
The public would then vote for its preferred representative.
But Mr Altman believes the voting system is too complicated.
"It is essentially an attempt by the republican movement to, on the one hand, make sure that we don't get a crazy dingbat as head of state, but at the same time that the people have a real say," he said.
"And I think one of the real problems with it is that it is almost impossible in a country in which there are deep political divisions to find a method that everybody is going to be comfortable with."
Fondness for the Queen runs deep
Australia held a referendum on becoming a republic in 1999. It failed and the issue has not been high on the political agenda since.
"That is, we think it's a good idea in theory, we're not quite sure how to go about it, and it really isn't that important because in reality it doesn't change very much."
There's also a strong level of support in Australia for the sitting monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years on the throne over the weekend.
"The reality is we've all grown up with her," said Mr Altman.
"We all grew up with incessant, constant images of the royal family, the comings, goings, divorces, deaths, marriages through all of that.
A republic may never happen
Despite a new Labor government that strongly supports a republic, Dennis Altman is unsure that Australia will ever become one.
"The head of state is somebody living in London, but the emotional ties, the attraction of permanence, the idea that somehow, we have managed to find a system that removes the head of state from the day-to-day political intrigues, I think goes quite deep.
"So, you know, if I were a lot younger, I would say yes, of course, at some point we will become a republic.
"More cynically, my hunch is we may actually not become a republic until the British decide to become a republic."
