The perennial debate over whether Australia should become a republic has been revived by the recent Australian visit of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan that attracted cheering crowds.
A Newspoll in April found 50 per cent of Australian voters supported a republic, 41 per cent wanted to retain the constitutional monarchy and nine per cent were uncommitted.
But during the recent royal visit to Australia by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, there was no doubting the enthusiasm of the crowds from Sydney to Dubbo.
Despite the adoring crowds, the coordinator of the Victorian Young Monarchists, Claire Evans, said support during a royal visit should be distinct from the question of whether there is support for an Australian republic.
"I don't think the royal tour so much increases the support," Ms Evans told SBS News.
"Obviously, like the crowds didn't grow across the tour - it was pretty large from the get-go - but I do think we can't sort of mistake admiration for, obviously, actually understanding the system of constitutional monarchy.
"But I do think, a lot of the time, it does showcase a lot of the good work that they do as the royal family, and a lot of the pros of the system. So I think it's a little bit of a mixed bag."
This was reiterated by the national director of the Australian Republic Movement, Michael Clooney, who said the crowds turning up to meet Prince Harry And Meghan weren't particularly diverse.
Prince Harry Duke of Sussex on stage at the Closing Ceremony of the Invictus Games. Source: Doug Peters
"I think we see there's a segment of our population who are very excited by any royal visits," he told SBS News.
"If you look at those crowds, they're not particularly diverse. They represent some Australians but not all Australians. But whether people are enthused by princes and princesses as celebrity visitors or not, they know that there's a question for Australia to answer about our future."
Mr Clooney said mounting a case for an Australian republic would take time since there are other urgent matters on voters' minds at any given time.
However, Professor Flint said those who campaign for a republic need to demonstrate how their proposal would improve governance.
"We've always argued that the question is constitutional, that, if you're going to change our constitution, it has to be a change which will significantly improve the governance of Australia - which puts an obligation on anybody, including so-called republicans, that they must demonstrate that what they're proposing will improve the governance of this country," Professor Flint told SBS News.
Prince Harry and Meghan also got a warm welcome in New Zealand. Source: AAP
"And they've significantly failed on that."
