Push for republic gathers pace in Australia

The push to make Australia a republic has gathered pace after all but one of Australia's state and territory leaders signed a historic declaration calling for an Australian head of state.

Western Australia state Premier Colin Barnett was the only leader not to sign the declaration which states: "We, the undersigned premiers and chief ministers of Australia, believe that Australians should have an Australian as our head of state."

Australian Republican Movement chair Peter FitzSimons said on Monday that Australia becoming a republic was a "no brainer" and the support of the nation's political leaders, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, was no less than a "declaration of desired independence".

Though Australia was granted autonomy in 1901 and is free to self-govern, it is not a republic and remains a Commonwealth state under a quasi-rule by the British Monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is Australia's official head of state.

"Australia can do better than to find our heads of state from one family of unelected English people living in a palace in England," FitzSimons told Australia's Nine Network after being asked if the nation should wait until she passes away.

"Have the Queen come when she is young enough and instead of bowing and curtseying, the nation rises as one in a standing ovation and says thank you your majesty, we will take it from here."

FitzSimons said the declaration by all but one state and territory leader was timed for the annual Australia Day celebration - an annual celebration marking the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson - while coinciding with an online petition that has so far gathered 4,500 signatures, out of 16 million eligible voters.

The Australian Monarchist League however said despite the moves from the political leaders, there is no widespread public support for replacing the monarchy and that the nation's constitution is "based on the Crown which always represents the people".

"This petition is calling for a republic which will be based on the will of politicians, which is evidenced by so many premiers and politicians supporting it," the league's national chair Philip Benwell said.

Australian Minister for Communication and the Arts, Mitch Fifield told local media despite his desire for a republic, the debate is not a priority for the sitting government and that there's no point discussing a proposition without any chance of success.

"My view is that this proposition won't seriously be re-examined for so long as the queen is on the throne," Fifield said.

"Until that time, what we see today is the annual pre-Australia Day republic story."

Fifield's view has echoed Turnbull's who led the failed republican referendum in 1999. The prime minister has stated there were more important issues than the question of a republic.

"The next occasion for the republic referendum to come up is going to be after the Queen's reign," Turnbull said last year.

The Australian Republican Movement is calling for a plebiscite to the held by the year 2020, which would then be followed up by a congress of political and community leaders to decided the preferred model for a republic.

On Jan. 26, the nation celebrates Australia day marking the arrival of the First Fleet, with the leaders presenting a number of community awards in honour of a person's serve to the nation while more contemporary members of society party to a countdown of the top 100 songs played over Australian radio in 2015.

However, other members of Australia consider the celebration to be affront to the nation's indigenous, or first peoples that were readily hunted, killed or made to assimilate into a British lifestyle during colonial and post-colonial rule. Endit