Instead of honouring our monarch we could soon be honouring our children, with the minister calling for the Queen's Birthday break to be renamed the Kids' Day long weekend.

In a statement bound to enrage monarchists, Mr Barr told the Sunday Canberra Times it was about time we stopped commemorating the past and looked to the future of Australia.

''Queen Elizabeth II has done her job in a professional and dignified manner,'' he said.

''But now it is time Australia moved on to face the future.

''Rededicating the Queen's Birthday long weekend to celebrate Australia's children is a step towards the future.''

Mr Barr said the idea to devote the weekend to children was first suggested to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd by Per Capita, a self-described ''independent progressive think-tank''.

It proposed that the Government mark the day by issuing an annual report card on the status of Australian children, canvassing areas such as health, safety, education and the success of government services designed with children in mind.

The day would also celebrate education with awards for young people, schools and teachers, underscoring the importance of education in particular early education's contribution to the future of the nation.

Mr Barr who admitted being a ''proud republican'' said the idea was not only symbolically important but made a statement about government priorities.

Per Capita policy director Michael Cooney said he was pleased the idea had been picked up by the ACT Government.

''It is an exciting development,'' he said.

''The ACT has a progressive Government that has shown the ability to make some big changes, including big reforms in education, and now they are looking at this idea to really lock in the early-childhood agenda.

''It is a really good sign, and hopefully the Federal Government might pick up on it as well.''

The ACT convener of the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy movement, Alan Fitzgerald, was less enthused, calling the Queen's Birthday long weekend ''a celebration of our history''.

''As long as Australia is a constitutional monarchy there is no reason why we shouldn't continue to celebrate it in the traditional way,'' he said.

''They [the ACT Government] should wait until Australia becomes a republic before they introduce their republican ideas.''

The Governor-General's office and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet declined to comment on the proposal.