Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australia is not likely to become a republic any time soon, with his government having "bigger things" on its mind than Australia's head of state.
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Mr Abbott, a constitutional monarchist, has moved to cast a fresh push for a republic as a peripheral issue after Treasurer Joe Hockey was named as co-chair of a bipartisan parliamentary friendship group with Labor senator Katy Gallagher to revive the debate.
The Prime Minister said he and Mr Hockey had not discussed the group before it was announced by head of the Australian Republican Movement, and Mr Hockey's friend, Peter FitzSimons at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
"Joe and I talk about many things, but mostly it's the economy and what the government can do to improve the economy by cutting taxes, cutting regulation, getting productivity up," Mr Abbott told the Nine Network's Today program.
"So, no, we didn't talk about this because we've got, I suppose, bigger things on our minds most of the time.
"But there are lots of parliamentary friendship groups and this is just another one of them."
Mr Hockey's involvement in a renewed push for a republic has been questioned by some of his colleagues who have said it is not the right time to revive the issue.
Liberal senator Dean Smith, a monarchist, has called the issue a "distraction" while Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss wants the government to focus on the economy.
However, frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull defended Mr Hockey's right to chair such a group - and he will join the Treasurer.
"It's absolutely his call," he said. "And everyone knows where I stand on the republic. I'm a notorious republican."
Mr Abbott told an interview with Channel Seven's Sunrise that Mr Hockey was "perfectly entitled to be involved in a friendship group. There are many friendship groups in our Parliament".
But he said did not see any change in the near future.
"I don't think anything is going to change on this issue any time soon because we are a great country with a good system of government and we have made extraordinary progress as a nation over the last couple of hundred of years," Mr Abbott said.
