A queen.
Photo © 2010 AFP Photo / Pool / Files / Rob Griffith
A Nielsen survey of 1,400 people, conducted in the lead-up to the federal election and published on Sunday, reveals almost a third of Australians never want Australia to become a republic.
Support for becoming a republic has slumped to a 16-year-low, according to the results which found that opposition to a republic has grown by 8 per cent since 2008. Forty-eight per cent of people are now saying they oppose constitutional change.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard suggests the issue should be considered after a change of monarchy. 34 per cent of those surveyed agree.
Malcolm Badgery, a spokesman for Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, says public support for constitutional change will not increase with the Queen's death as “there'll be a royal funeral and then the coronation… there will be an outpouring of sentiment.”
Nielsen pollster John Stirton disagrees, saying "these results suggest Australians will be more likely to support a republic when Queen Elizabeth II is no longer on the throne".
Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry wants constitutional change as he believes "Australia's adolescence has lasted more than 100 years since Federation... it is time for Australia to pass the test of maturity and finally emerge from its prolonged adolescence into the full flower of independent adulthood as the Republic of Australia."
Forty-four per cent of those surveyed want to see Australia become a republic. But only 29 per cent of people believed Australia should become a republic as soon as possible, while 31 per cent say Australia should never become a republic.
And so the debate rolls on…
Should Australia become a republic, and if so, when? Why do you think support for the idea has fallen? Log in below and have your say!
