Less than two weeks from now, Australians will vote in a referendum to decide if their country should cut its final ties with the UK and become a republic.

Voting in the referendum is compulsory. But debate on the subject has been remarkably slight, with the Prime Minister, John Howard, saying most Australians are simply not interested.

Just two months ago, 50% of voters were unaware that a referendum was to be held. Of those who did, many said they did not know enough to vote one way or the other.

John Howard says most Australians are not interested in the issue

This might not be altogether their fault; the government has spent millions advertising the referendum, but there has been no long campaign of public education putting the case for and against the republic; still no clear explanation of what might change in a republic and what might stay the same.

Opinion polls say Australians would vote overwhelmingly to cut their ties with Britain and the Queen.

What they do not like is a proposal that the republic's head of state, the president, be chosen by members of parliament. This, the critics say, hints at shady political deals behind closed doors.

The government treasurer, Peter Costello, says this is nonsense - after all, politicians are trusted to do everything else in running the country.

He says: "They can send troops to war, they can determine taxation ... the argument is the only thing they can't be trusted to do is to elect a head of state."

The Queen could lose her position as Australia's head of state

Mr Costello may be right about that. Many prominent would-be Republicans say they will vote 'no' in the referendum because a 'yes' vote would gives more power to politicians and because the powers of the president have yet to be clearly defined.

With only days left to persuade Australians, the Labor Party opposition has launched a new version of an old song to support the republic.

The theme, It's Time, was last used in a Labor Party election campaign 25 years ago. Yet perhaps the key to the referendum result also lies in history.