Head of state is a description used in official sources for the monarch. The Australian constitution does not mention the term head of state, and in discussion it has been used for describing the person who holds the highest rank among the officers of government. A number of writers, most notably David Smith, have argued that the term is better used to describe the governor-general. Some others and some publications in Australia have also referred to the governor-general as the head of state.
The difference of opinion has mainly been discussed in the context of Australia becoming a republic, and was prominently debated in the lead-up to the republic referendum in 1999.
