THE future of Australia’s current system of government has never looked more secure according to Australians for Constitutional Monarchy National Convenor David Flint. 

Speaking at the organisation’s 21^st National Conference in Sydney yesterday, Prof Flint said a referendum if held today would result in a bigger landslide than the 1999 result. 

“Make no mistake, 1999 was a landslide win for our constitutional monarchy,” Prof Flint said. 

SCEPTICAL

“We won every State and 72 per cent of electorates in 1999 and, since then, support for a republic has declined significantly.”

Professor Flint said people should be sceptical of opinion polls that indicated otherwise.

“They have skewed their polls with deceptive questioning such as ‘do you think Australia should have an Australian head of state?’,” he said.

“Australia already has an Australian head of state called the governor-general.

“This dishonest phrasing of questions is a trick that consistently provides an additional eight per cent support to the republicans.

“My conclusion on opinion polls – and from experience – is that most undecided respondents come our way and vote No and that many are ‘shy monarchists’.

“The others firm their opinion when they see the arguments against a republican proposal. When ever a proposal is made, as they are from time to time, they get into the media mainly with the republican point of view.

“The arguments against the proposal only appear later, at least in depth.