A majority of federal politicians support the idea of an Australian republic, and now they want to do something about it.
Australian Republican Movement chairman Peter FitzSimons launched a new bipartisan group pushing for an Australian head of state at Parliament House on Thursday.
"We are united in the view that in the 21st century Australia can do better than find our head of states from a family of English aristocrats living in a palace in London," Mr FitzSimons told reporters at the launch.
Despite a majority of support across both houses of parliament, including the prime minister and opposition leader, Mr FitzSimons said the movement is still seeking the numbers from the wider public.
"Basically the way the numbers break down, half the people are for us, a quarter of the people are a'gin us and a quarter of the people don't care - they just want to keep watching Married At First Sight," he said.
The ARM proposes putting a simple question to the public: "Do you think Australia should have an Australian as a head of state?"
"This year we're about consolidation. Next year we're about having a conversation. The year after that we would love to have a plebiscite and two years after that a referendum so we can finally get this done," Mr FitzSimons said.
Labor senator and co-convenor of the parliamentary friendship group Katy Gallagher said they would first look to grow their membership base.
"I acknowledge that the parliamentary friendship group will be a small but important part of linking the parliament back to that community-wide discussion," Senator Gallagher said.
"I remember in 1999 being devastated at the result of that referendum, and vowed then to maintain my involvement in a push towards a republic."
Co-convenor, Liberal MP Jason Falinski, said one reason why the 1999 referendum on an Australian republic failed was a lack of community knowledge on the issue.
"That's why this friendship group is so important. We need to start that conversation now," he said.
"The truth is there will always be more urgent things to do. But there are few things more important than who our head of state is."
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