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Australian support for republic at new low: poll
SYDNEY (AFP) - - The number of Australians who want to replace the monarchy with a republic has fallen to its lowest level in almost 15 years, according to a poll published Thursday.
Only 45 percent of Australians favoured scrapping the monarchy for a republic, although the figure rose sharply when respondents considered the prospect of Prince Charles taking the throne, according to the poll from Morgan Research.
Pollster Gary Morgan said support for a republic featuring a popularly-elected president was the lowest since former prime minister Paul Keating raised the issue of dumping Queen Elizabeth II in December 1993.
Morgan said the number of respondents backing a republic had fallen six points since February 2005, even though Australians last November elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who describes himself as a "life-long republican."
He said the figures showed that Australians were more concerned with issues that directly impacted on their livelihoods than cutting links with former colonial ruler Britain.
"Kevin Rudd and his republican colleagues should forget about changing the constitution over the next few years and concentrate on making sure working Australians can survive with higher interest rates and higher prices," Morgan said.
Establishing a republic was one of the main suggestions to emerge from a brain-storming session of 1,000 prominent Australians in Canberra last month organised by Rudd to generate ideas for his centre-left Labor government.
Morgan's poll found that support for the monarchy had risen two points to 42 percent since February 2005.
However, the figure dropped sharply to 32 percent when respondents were asked how they would view the monarchy if Prince Charles took the throne, with 56 percent supporting a republic.
A referendum on becoming a republic failed in 1999 after the-then prime minister John Howard campaigned strongly against the move.
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