Melbourne's Sunday Age reports a study has found that 35% of Australian adults think that a republic is "important" for their country. Of course, the monarchists are happy with this result, and say they have "lead" in the polls. This is nonsense - firstly because the question only asks if voters think a republic is an important issue. Whether voters see the issue as important or not is not the same as asking if they support a republic. Secondly, the "importance" of an issue does not show how electors would vote in a referendum.

The Sunday Age notes that according to their poll, 69% of Australians support a republic when the Queen's reign ends. This is why the Rudd Labor government is making moves towards a referendum on the republic issue. Intriguingly, David Flint of the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy conceded that the popularity of the monarch matters, and that Prince Charles may be unpopular as King. Of course, the fact that ACM published a monograph on the Queen is not mentioned.

This study once again underlines the fact that the Australian people (and New Zealanders too) support the monarchy because of the Queen - in other words, they're Elizabethans rather than monarchists. As Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith stated on a recent visit to London in June:

"I think there's ... something of a view in the Australian community that if we are to move to a republic, the appropriate time to do that is when the current monarch moves off the stage."

While Australia does not have to wait for the Queen's reign to end, it might very well