Despite Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s new call for a plebiscite on becoming a republic, it seems Australians aren’t too thrilled about kicking the Union Jack any time soon according to a new poll.
This comes as support for a republic cools among younger voters amid a broader decline in momentum for change. However, the new survey shows those aged 50 or older were more likely to support change with 54 per cent in favour and 40 per cent against.
The Australian reports that support for a republic has barely shifted nearly 20 years since Aussies rejected the idea in the 1999 referendum on the issue.
Newspoll results conducted exclusively for The Australian showed that while voters aged 50-plus were more likely to support the change, younger voters were drifting away from the republican cause.
Only 45 per cent were in favour (compared to 46 per cent when they were last polled in July 1999) and 37 per cent were against it in people aged 18-34.
The results also showed that women were more likely to object to a republic today than they were the last time the change was suggested to the people in November 1999.
The survey found 44 per cent of women supported a republic and 42 per cent opposed the change; compared to a Newspoll survey in July 1999 which found that 42 per cent of women supported a republic and 37 per cent did not.
However, it seems men are more likely to back the change with 59 per cent in support and just 33 per cent against.
The new results also showed support of a republic was strongest among Labor voters – 62 per cent were in favour with just 28 per cent against.
The Greens weren’t far behind with 60 per cent in favour and 43 per cent against while 48 per cent of Coalition voters backed the change and 30 per cent did not.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation voted 58 per cent against the shift with 34 per cent in favour.