Canberra, Australia –
Australia is removing its monarchy from its banknotes.
The country’s central bank said on Thursday that the new $5 bill would feature an indigenous design rather than an image of Charles III.However, the king is expected to appear on coins that still have the current image of Late Queen Elizabeth.
The five-dollar bill is Australia’s only surviving note and still features the monarch’s image.
The bank said the decision was taken after consultation with the center-left Labor government, which supports the change. Opponents say the move is politically motivated.
The monarch is still Australia’s head of state, but these days that role is largely symbolic. .
The Reserve Bank of Australia said the new five-dollar bill will feature a design that replaces the portrait of the Queen, who died last year. The bank said the move respects the “culture and history of the first Australians”.
“The back of the $5 bill will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.” The bank said in a statement.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the change was an opportunity to strike a balance.
“The monarch will continue to be on the coin, but the $5 bill will say more about our history, our traditions and our country. I think that’s a good thing,” he told reporters in Melbourne.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton likened the move to changing the date of Australia Day.
“I know the silent majority disagrees with a lot of the nonsense that’s going on right now, but we need to hear more from them online,” he told 2GB Radio. rice field.
Dutton said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was at the center of the decision not to have the king appear on banknotes, urging him to “acknowledge it.”
After taking office last year, the Albanians began laying the groundwork for the Australian republic by creating the new position of deputy minister of the republic, but holding a referendum to sever constitutional ties with the UK would be a long way off. was not a top priority for his government.
The bank plans to consult with indigenous groups on the design of the $5 bill, and it will be several years before the new notes are unveiled.
The current $5 will continue to be issued until the new design is introduced and will remain legal tender after the new note goes into circulation.
The face of Charles III is expected to appear on Australian coins later this year.
One Australian dollar is worth approximately 71 cents in US currency.
Britain’s currency began transitioning to a new monarch with the release of the 50p coin in December. The obverse of the coin depicts Charles and the reverse depicts his mother.
