``I think the point to remember about this Queen's birthday is that it does give us time to reflect on the fact that we are celebrating the birthday of our head of state who lives some 12,000 miles (19,500 km) away from this country,'' Australian Republican Movement spokesman Greg Barns said in a television interview on Sunday.

``I think it is important that Australians on this weekend do focus on the fact that it would be much better if we could celebrate a holiday when we're looking at a head of state who lives amongst us.'' Legislation introduced in Parliament last week would set January 1, 2001 asthe effective date should a majority of Australians vote for the switch in the November referendum and clear the way for an Australian President to replace the Queen.

The legislation removes references to the Queen from Australia's constitution, and provides for the establishment a 32-member committee to draw up a shortlist for President to be voted on by Parliament.

That model for a republic was reached as part of a compromise finally decided on during a constitutional convention last year to secure moderate delegates afraid of creating a new political force in a directly-elected President.

But it has also served to split the republican movement, prompting some splinter republican groups from the leading Australian Republican Movement (ARM) to call for Australians to vote against a republic during the November referendum. Former MP Phil Cleary, a leading figure in the splinter republican movement, said debating the celebrations for the Queen's birthday holiday just masked bigger issues. ``This is justa quirky ritual really, it'll pass by. There's no point being jingoistic about this, it's a big constitutional issue that we're talking about,'' he said.

Monarchists meanwhile have tried to make the campaign ahead of the referendum more about an unnecessary change rather than a distant ruler.

They say Australia has benefited immensely from its current system of government and its link with Old Mother England and her Queen. ``The important issue is are we going to change a constitution which has worked so successfully that we are the envy of the world, and we're one of the world's six oldest democracies,'' monarchist David Flint said.

``Or are we going to change for something we don't know anything about?''