It is difficult to take some republicans seriously. The Queen's Birthday holiday should be abolished and replaced with a "Kids' Day holiday," a new think tank has urged, according to a report by Gerard McManus in the Herald Sun on 3 December, 2007. The Per Capita group claims the new Rudd Government could make the change with a symbolic stroke of the pen. "Replace a holiday based on the past with a holiday based on the future," said British- born David Hetherington, the group’s executive director.
Melbourne-based Per Capita describes itself as an "independent progressive" think tank. The chairman of the board is a Victorian MP Evan Thornley. Per Capita hopes to provide strategic advice to the Rudd Government, in the same way the Institute of Public Affairs and the Centre for Independent Studies helped guide the Howard government. But neither engages in publicity stunts.
The Herald Sun asked its readers in an on line poll whether The Queen’s Birthday should be abolished and replaced with a "Kids' Day holiday."
Eighty nine per cent said No.