Time for a republic?

PM Gillard came out today firing about ditching a British monarch as the country's head of state. In fact she suggested the current set-up should stop after QE2 is gone.

"What I would like to see as prime minister is that we work our way through to an agreement on a model for the republic," Ms Gillard said in Townsville.

In the 1990s there was a debate on this issue which divided Australians between monarchists and republicans. A 1999 referendum asked Australians if they wanted to replace the monarchy with a president elected by parliament. The idea was voted down.

Is this republican posing again?

Source:

• UK The Independent "Australian PM Gillard in call for republic"
• UK Mail Online "When the Queen dies, Australia should become a republic, says Welsh-born PM"
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