Sydney, Jan 25: A new opinion poll has shown Australians are strongly in favour of dumping the British Queen as their head of state. The poll of 1,200 people, published in a tabloid, showed 64 percent want an Australian as their head of state and only 30 percent want to keep Queen Elizabeth II. It gave no margin of error.
Australia, in common with other former British colonies, retains Britain's monarch as its head of state.
The Queen is represented in Australia by a Governor General whose role is largely ceremonial.
Australians rejected the idea of replacing the queen with a homegrown President at a 1999 referendum – however analysts said at the time the proposal was dumped because it involved an unpopular way of electing a President.
Conservative Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch monarchist, has said he will not sanction another vote while he remains in office. However, the 64-year-old leader faces a tough battle from a resurgent pro-republican labor party at federal elections later this year.
The poll was conducted to coincide with Australia Day national celebration. Bureau Report