Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the Queen had ruled with a tender heart and wisdom gained from almost a century of life and experience.
“The last page was written on an exceptional board,” he said. “Her Majesty was gentle, kind and much loved.”
King Charles is expected to address Parliament in Westminster on Monday following the announcement and his official introduction. Buckingham Palace will set a date for the coronation at a later date.
However, it will not be until later in the week that the Governor-General and Prime Minister fly to London with their partners for the funeral. Albanese is expected to have a brief audience with the king upon his arrival in London.
Former prime ministers Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison praised the Queen in a series of statements about her service to public life.
“She was a model of public leadership, married to political restraint throughout her life, always remaining a constitutional monarch,” Keating said.
People gather outside the parliament building to watch the 96-gun salute.credit:Alex Elinghausen
New South Wales Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said she could not mourn the “leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives” and Greens leader Adam Bandt said Australia should become a republic, but other party leaders decided to leave the debate on constitutional reform for another . day
Albanese has prioritized constitutional changes to give an indigenous voice to parliament, and there is no timetable for a referendum on a republic.
Parliament was due to return on Monday for four days, followed by a five-week recess. There was no offer from the government on Friday to make up for lost time in the coming weeks.
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The suspension delays the government’s plan to introduce a bill to establish a federal independent anti-corruption commission, so the proposal can now be referred to an inquiry and give MPs time to check whether the proposal meets their anti-crime goals.
The Queen’s death is not expected to delay plans to return to parliament on October 25, the day the federal budget is passed.
Unions and business groups declined to comment on whether the day of national mourning should be a public holiday, and there was no indication from the government on Friday that this would happen.
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