Backing for an Australian republic has collapsed to a 20-year low

The Ensign of The Governor-General of The Commonwealth of Australia.

It must have been a difficult day for the Fairfax journalists to admit: Voters' support for republic hits 20-year low.

With just 39.4 per cent of Australians saying they support a republic, backing for an Australian republic has collapsed to a 20-year low. An exclusive ReachTEL poll of more than 2100 Australians, conducted on Thursday night for Fairfax, shows 41.6 per cent oppose the country becoming a republic, and 19 per cent had no opinion on the issue.

It must be especially troubling for the Aussie republicans that their idea of changing the constitution is unpopular among the 18 to 35 year olds, reaching only 35.6 per cent. Only those Australians aged 65 and older are more opposed to a republic than the young ones: 30.7 per cent want a politicians' republic instead of a Constitutional Monarchy.

Geoff Gallop, chairman of the Australian Republican Movement (ARM), commented rather stoically: "Polls will come and go." One wonders if he remembers the opinion polls which were commissioned by the republicans themselves, which - surprise, surprise - bring a much more favourable result for the republicans.

The Queen's next representative in Australia as Governor-General, General Peter Cosgrove AM, MC, has already proved to be more popular than the incumbent Governor-General Quentin Bryce. 57.1 per cent think Peter Cosgrove is the better Governor-General, only 42.9 per cent consider Quentin Bryce to fulfil her duties better. It might have to do with the fact that in November 2013,  Quentin Bryce used the final Boyer lecture of the year to publicly threw her support behind the republicans' cause. Most observers found it rather improper for the holder of the highest office in Australia, which should be above party politics, to get involved in such a divisive discussion. However, her son-in-law is the present leader of Her Majesty's Australian Opposition, William (Bill) Richard Shorten. Instead of her family, Quentin Bryce should have thought of the Oath of Allegiance, she took on 5th September 2008 at Parliament House, Canberra,

Oath of Allegiance
I, QUENTIN ALICE LOUISE BRYCE, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law. SO HELP ME GOD!

(Quentin Alice Louise Bryce)