The prospect of a re-elected Labor government, which had expressed sympathetic views on a change to establish our own head of state, was likely, despite its well-documented internal issues.

Influential Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry suggested severing ties with the monarchy had pushed the idea of a republic back on the agenda.

For those republicans, the past two weeks have been disastrous.

The still undetermined election result and a new survey released yesterday show Australia might be further than ever from having another vote on casting the monarchy aside.

The Nielsen survey, published in Fairfax newspapers showed support for a republic running at just 44 per cent, the lowest level since 1994. The survey also showed almost half of the respondents were against the idea. This level

of disapproval has not been seen since the 1970s.

The continued stewardship of Queen Elizabeth continues to influence Australians when considering the republic push. The survey reveals we are more likely to consider a republic when the Queen is no longer on the throne.

If Tony Abbott, aided by the independents, forms government this week, the debate about Australia becoming a republic will not be high on the pecking order. Mr Abbott is a former director of Australians for Constitutional

Monarchy and continues to be a staunch supporter of the status quo.

Even if Labor forms a minority government, it is difficult to see the issue high on Julia Gillard's agenda given the possibility that even simple legislation will be at the mercy of a fragmented parliament.

Despite such predictions of doom and gloom for committed republicans, many political and social leaders believe it is inevitable that Australia will one day break free from the monarchy - it's a matter of when, rather than if.

For them, the political instability and the unwillingness of the public to accept the proposition while the Queen's reign continues means that any decision could be many years away.