The country’s central bank announced on Thursday that the new $5 bill will feature indigenous people, not King Charles III. However, the king is expected to appear on coins that currently feature Queen Elizabeth II.
The $5 note was the only remaining Australian note that still featured the monarch.
The bank said the decision came after consultations with the centre-left Labor government, which backed the change. Critics say the move is politically motivated.
The British monarch remains the head of state of Australia, although today his role is largely symbolic. Like many former British colonies, Australia is debating the extent to which it should retain constitutional ties to the UK.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has said the new $5 note will feature a design that will replace the Queen’s portrait. The bank said the move would honor “the culture and history of early Australians”.
“The other side of the $5 note will still feature the Australian Parliament,” the bank said in a statement.
Banker Jim Chalmers said the change was an opportunity to find the perfect balance. “The monarch will still be featured on the coins, but the $5 bill will tell more about our history, our heritage and our country, and I think that’s a good thing,” he told reporters in Melbourne.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton likened the move to changing the date of the national holiday, Australia Day. “I know the silent majority disagree with a lot of the revivalist bullshit,” he told 2GB radio.
Dutton said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was instrumental in the decision not to feature the king on the banknote, urging him to “recognize it openly”.
Since taking office last year, Albanese has begun laying the groundwork for Australian democracy by creating the new position of Assistant Secretary for Democracy, but holding a referendum on severing constitutional ties with the UK has not been a top priority for the Australian government.
The bank plans to consult with indigenous groups on the design of the $5 note, a process expected to take several years.
The current banknotes will continue to be issued until a new design is introduced, and will remain legal even after the introduction of the new one.
The face of King Charles III is expected to appear on Australian coins in 2023.
Source: Associated Press.
Source: Kathimerini
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