Is It Time For Australia To Become A Republic?

What better way to celebrate Australia Day than by (gently) inciting a revolution of sorts?

That's what all but one of Australia’s state premiers and chief ministers have gone and done by signing a declaration calling for an Australian head of state, ABC News reports.

It’s a move that has inspired the Australian Republican Movement's Peter FitzSimons to claim that Australia is at “the dawn of a new republican age.”

Though WA’s Colin Barnett decided to sit this one out, his fellow leaders put their name to a declaration stating: “We, the undersigned premiers and chief ministers of Australia, believe that Australians should have an Australian as our head of state.”

This, effectively, would mean the introduction of something like an Australian President and an end Australia’s existence as a constitutional monarchy (and thus, no royalty to report to).

The Australian Republican Movement's petition for an Australian Head of State so far has more than 7,000 supporters.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull – who, never forget, headed the ‘yes’ campaign in the failed 1999 referendum asking Australians if they wanted to become a republic – released a statement saying his “commitment to Australia having an Australian as head of state is undiminished.”

Opposition leader Bill Shorten similarly expressed his support, calling on Prime Minister Turnbull to “seize this moment.”

It has long been believed that there would not be another push for an Australian Republic in the Queen’s lifetime. More likely it would occur once Prince Charles had taken the reins.

However, FitzSimons is suggesting that an immediate referendum or plebiscite would actually be the “ultimate act of respect to Queen Elizabeth II.”

"Let's, while the Queen of England is young enough to come to Australia, not bow and curtsy but rise in a standing ovation and say, 'Thank you, your Majesty, for the sterling service you've given our nation',” he said.

The question is, should this happen in the near (or not-so-near) future, would WA join the rest of Australia?

Premier Barnett today argued he was in favour of a republic; just not now.

"While I believe and hope that Australia will choose to become a republic in my lifetime, I do not think that the time is right, or that sufficient time has passed since the referendum, to be again prosecuting the argument for constitutional change,” he said.

What say you? Should Australia abandon the monarchy and become a republic?