A REFERENDUM to make Australia a republic will be unlikely to occur in the next few years, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has affirmed this morning (September 12).

While discussions around changing Australia’s system of government has arisen in the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Mr Albanese said it was “too soon” to be considering a breakaway from the Commonwealth.

“I couldn’t envisage a circumstance where we changed our head of state to an Australian head of state but still didn’t recognise First Nations people in our constitution,” he told the ABC on Monday.

He said the Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be the constitutional priority during his first term in office.

The PM’s comments come despite in June appointing Sydney MP Matt Thistlethwaite as Assistant Minister for the Republic. The newly created portfolio sparked speculation that a referendum would occur in the near future.

Albanese, however, told the “Today” show this morning that the government doesn’t “have a timetable”.

“Now is the time for commemorating and recognising the life and service of Queen Elizabeth and also for welcoming our new head of state in King Charles III,” he said.

Federal Parliament will not sit for 15 days following the death of the Queen.

The Prime Minister and Governor-General David Hurley will fly to London on Thursday to attend her funeral at Westminster Abbey.