Removing knights and dames was slated in September, soon after Mr Turnbull – an avowed republican – ousted Mr Abbott from the leadership.
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Former prime minister Tony Abbott re-introduced the old-style imperial honours in 2014 and, at the time, said up to four would be bestowed each year.
“The Cabinet recently considered the Order of Australia, in this its 40 anniversary year, and agreed that Knights and Dames are not appropriate in our modern honour system”.
Existing knights and dames, including Prince Philip, will retain their titles.
Mr Abbott defended his decision and promised to consult more widely in future, but many argued it was the beginning of the end of his leadership.
The announcement is in stark contrast to the attitude of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was the subject of widespread ridicule after he announced a desire to knight Prince Philip – the Queen’s husband.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.
“We shouldn’t be celebrating the fact that knights and dames are gone, we should be lamenting the fact that they came back under this government”, ABC News quoted him as saying.
Speaking at a TV launch at Parliament House in March 2014, the then communications minister asked if 1983, the last time an Australian could have been named knight or dame, “really so long ago?” having just referenced that it was the same year Daryl Somers won the Gold Logie.
But the abolition of the titles has been attacked by the nation’s monarchists, who accused Mr Turnbull of seeking to avenge the loss in 1999 of a national referendum on whether to become a republic. “It’s good to see the broad acceptance of it in the community today”, he said.
“There are many distinguished republics that have knights in their honours system”.
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“The honours – they say something about our country and reflect our context as a modern nation”.
