Mr Turnbull, a former head of the Australian Republican Movement who did not push the republic issue while opposition leader, has followed last week's article in The Times with a piece in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph on the way forward.

''The next step should be a consultative, non-binding poll which asks Australians whether they would prefer to have an Australian citizen as head of state rather than the king or queen of the UK.

''It should go on to ask whether they believe that if we're to become a republic, the new head of state's powers and duties should be the same as those of the governor-general.

''The final question should be about the method of election.''

After considering the results, Parliament could decide whether to proceed with a referendum and what amendments it should involve.

Mr Turnbull believes any referendum should not be until after the Queen's reign.

He told The Age that the poll could be before or after, but he favoured after, suggesting the poll could be held with one election and the referendum with the next.

He still strongly believes the best model would be to have the president chosen by Parliament, but acknowledges the compelling ''allure'' of the direct-elect model.

But it should not be assumed a direct-elect model would ensure the republic would pass, he writes: ''Our experience in the the lead-up to the 1999 referendum was that whenever we discussed the issue in a focus group, large or small, support for directly electing the president plummeted as soon as people realised that a successful candidate would likely be a political partisan chosen by what would be, no doubt, a fierce political contest.''

A Galaxy poll published yesterday showed 44 per cent of respondents in favour of Australia becoming a republic, 27 per cent opposed, and 29 per cent uncommitted.