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Australia's Treasurer has angered colleagues after announcing he would co-chair a push for Australia to renounce itself as a constitutional monarchy.
On Wednesday, Joe Hockey, alongside a Labor Senator Katy Gallagher, were announced as leaders in a parliamentary push to form a republic, but on Thursday, the decision resulted in a fierce backlash.
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a staunch monarchist, said he did not know that Hockey would be forming the " parliamentary friendship group."
"No, we didn't talk about this because we've got bigger things on our minds most of the time, but there are lots of parliamentary friendship groups and this is just one of them," Abbott told the Nine Network on Thursday.
"I think one of the problems with the republican push is it seems to feel compelled in the way you just have to suggest that there's some lack of maturity, some lack of independence in our system."
Another government minister told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) he was "blown away" to learn of Hockey's decision to co-chair the group, saying the Treasurer had shown a " complete lack of judgement" and should focus foremost on managing the nation's finances.
This is the latest in a string of controversies for the Liberal Party in recent months; colleagues have bickered over talks regarding the same-sex marriage debate, while leadership doubts and now an Australian republican push have also stolen the headlines.
Hockey, along with current Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, were supporters of the republican movement when it was first put to referendum in 1999.
The push failed and hasn't been attempted since, but head of the Australian Republican Movement, Peter FitzSimons, said with enough support, Australia could be well on its way to cutting ties with the monarchy as early as 2020. Enditem
