Knights and dames honours could go

The Australian Republican Movement has welcomed news that Malcolm Turnbull wants to ditch the knights and dames honours, resurrected by Tony Abbott.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

PM Malcolm Turnbull is reportedly set to banish knights and dames from Australia's honours system. (AAP)

Republicans are happy to see the end of knights and dames - the "captain's pick" that got former Liberal leader Tony Abbott in trouble with voters and his backbench.

News Corp reports that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a republican, is expected to meet little resistance when he asks his new cabinet and the party room to banish knights and dames from Australia's honours system.

Labor has already backed the move.

Senior Liberal Mathias Cormann declined to offer his thoughts on the matter while he was waiting to find out if he was still finance minister on Sunday. "I will participate in the cabinet process and I won't do my colleagues the discourtesy of having these arguments before it has been properly considered by cabinet," Senator Cormann told Sky News.

The Australian Republican Movement, which Mr Turnbull used to chair, welcomed the report.

"Tony Abbott's surprise reintroduction of imperial honours was bizarre when it happened and was only made worse when he chose Prince Philip for a knighthood," chair Peter FitzSimons said in a statement.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten wrote to Mr Turnbull on Friday saying a Labor government would remove knights and dames from the Order of Australia.

"However, there is no reason why the Australian people should have to wait," he said.


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Source: AAP


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