26 February

The impending British royal marriage has a dramatic impact on support for an Australian republic – factor in Charles and Camilla and women’s support for an Australian republic skyrockets! A Galaxy Research survey published in The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) with a sample size of 400 adults over 16 throughout Australia shows 50 percent of female respondents in favour, 17 percent uncommitted and 33 percent against when asked “If Prince Charles and Camilla were Australia’s head of state, would you be in favour of Australia becoming a republic?” (note that 64 percent of women compared with 59 percent of men were in favour of Charles stepping aside for William). In the same survey, 44 percent of women compared with 53 percent of men were in favour of Australia becoming a republic and when asked when the next referendum should be: 33 percent of women (43 percent men) nominated in this term of parliament; 45 percent of women (41 percent of men) opted for the next 3 to 10 years; 16 percent of women (10 percent of men) said “never” and six percent of both sexes were undecided.