Nothing ensures a republic would pass in a referendum

Disgraced former Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, seems to be pessimistic about the chances of "a" republic being approved by Australians in a referendum.

In an opinion a piece in The Sunday Telegraph, he re-affirmed his preference for the 1999 republic model that was presented to and rejected by the people. He still strongly believes the best model would be to have the president chosen by Parliament, but acknowledges the compelling "allure" of the direct-elect model.

But it should not be assumed a direct-elect model would ensure the republic would pass, he writes: "Our experience in the the lead-up to the 1999 referendum was that whenever we discussed the issue in a focus group, large or small, support for directly electing the president plummeted as soon as people realised that a successful candidate would likely be a political partisan chosen by what would be, no doubt, a fierce political contest."

Why waste all the time, energy and - not to forget: MONEY that is invested in this republic thing? The existing constitutional arrangements give everybody room to work within the monarchical form of state, some even call this "a crowned republic".

Meanwhile, a Galaxy poll, conducted for Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd. during Prince William's visit, revealed that support for "an" Australian republic has dropped to 44 per cent from last November, when the ARM according to the ABC claimed "support for an Australian republic now stands at 59 per cent". The fall from grace is even greater, when one remembers that ARM's leader Michael Keating told spectators in a TV interview before Prince William's arrival, "80 percent of the Australians" wanted "a" republic. Wishful thinking at its best.