Archive

May 17th, 2012

Kingitanga symposium on constitutional review

Submitted by LJ Holden on 16 May, 2012 - 23:00

Radio Waatea reports the Kingitanga held a symposium on the constitutional review at its annual Kingitanga Day:

May 15th

"Republics are vulnerable to the desires of the powerful"

Submitted by LJ Holden on 15 May, 2012 - 07:27

Social media is great for short interactions, but not so great when you're trying to have a sensible debate. Over the last few days I've attempted to discuss some questions put to the Republican Movement's Twitter account by Karl Stephens. Instead, I'll answer them here where there's no 180 character restriction!

Jamaica: republic legislation a priority

Submitted by LJ Holden on 14 May, 2012 - 22:30

Jamaica is making steady progress towards republican status. Jamaica's parliament opened this week, with "An Act to Establish Jamaica as a Republic, within the Commonwealth of Nations" to create a republic being made a priority:

During his address to the legislators, Sir Patrick also said that the government is placing priority on preparing and passing legislation establishing Jamaica as a Republic and removing Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as its Head of State.
“The Government will be proceeding in this regard through consensus and dialogue with the Opposition,” Sir Patrick said.

May 11th

Changes to our constitution announced in the UK

Submitted by LJ Holden on 10 May, 2012 - 21:42

A New Zealand republic means the ability for New Zealand to set the rules around our head of state for ourselves. Under the monarchy, they're handed down to us - and what better place than the former seat of the former British Empire, Westminster in London.

May 6th

Democracy; another way to choose the head of state

Submitted by LJ Holden on 6 May, 2012 - 10:38
Time for a vote!
Time for a vote perhaps...

There's been a number of strong responses to Colin MacGillivray's opinion piece in the April edition of Republic.

May 6th

"Opposition just as bad, so don't cry to the Queen"

Submitted by LJ Holden on 5 May, 2012 - 11:11

The Sydney Morning Herald has a great letter to the editor - I love the symbolism of the safety blanket, it is a pretty accurate representation of the actual value of the monarchy:

May 2nd

Jamaica: Speech from the non-existent throne

Submitted by LJ Holden on 1 May, 2012 - 22:03

The Jamaica Observer reports a resolution is to be put before the Jamaican parliament to rename the "Speech from the Throne" to the "People's Speech". The move is said to be:

April 30th

April 2012 Newsletter

In this edition:

  • Kiwis and Kangaroos
  • Female support for King Charles fades
  • New Zealand republic "most obvious question" missing from constitutional review
  • No intervention by the Queen in Cathedral demolition
  • Matariki, Queen's Birthday holidays debated
  • Jamaica: 44% republic, 40% status quo
  • "Jamaica Disease": republicanism spreads in the Commonwealth
  • Modern Commonwealth let down by RCS
  • Opinion: Another way to choose the Head of State by Colin MacGillivray

April 28th

Another Oaths Amendment Bill

Submitted by LJ Holden on 28 April, 2012 - 10:56

Mangere MP Su'a William Sio has put forward a new Oaths and Declarations (Members of Parliament) Amendment Bill, which is now up on parliament's website.

April 27th

Letters to the editor, 26 April 2012

Submitted by Mike Wilkinson on 26 April, 2012 - 13:07
We've had another letter to the editor about republicanism appear this morning in the The Dominion Post.  This one also discusses NZ becoming a republic in connection with the passing of Queen Elizabeth.

April 24th

Republicanism and women's suffrage

Submitted by Mike Wilkinson on 23 April, 2012 - 16:01
Is New Zealand becoming a republic comparable to our giving women the right to vote?  Some time back, Lewis and I discussed how this question related to a post I'd just written, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

April 22nd

Republic Poll: Female Support Fades for Charles to be King

MEDIA RELEASE 21 April 2012

"A poll commissioned by the Republican Movement and published today has found that support for Charles to become King is declining, especially amongst women" said Lewis Holden, chair of the Republican Movement.

A poll of 1,000 eligible voters found 51% supported Charles as King, a decline from 54% in a poll at the same time last year. This result was underpinned by a decline of support for King Charles amongst women to 52% from 58% last year. With many of those women becoming undecided, support for New Zealand to become a republic amongst all New Zealanders rose to 36%.

The change substantially reduces the disparity between female and male support for Charles that was observed in polling in the previous two years. It suggests the fickleness of support for the monarchy . It seems to be only based on the attention it receives in New Zealand's media.

"The Republican Movement beleives New Zealanders should have a say on who their head of state is, and how they're elected. That will require a national conversation on where we're headed - and the time to start that conversation is now" concluded Mr Holden. 

NOTES

The phone poll of 1,053 voting-age New Zealanders was conducted between 29 March - 13 April 2012. The question asked was:

"When the Queen dies, which option would you prefer: Prince Charles becoming King of New Zealand or New Zealand to becoming a republic?"

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.2%. The poll was commissioned by the Republican Movement and undertaken by Curia Market Research Limited.

For more opinion polls, see our page on polling: www.republic.org.nz/polling 

ENDS

Letters to the editor, 20 April 2012

Submitted by Mike Wilkinson on 20 April, 2012 - 13:11

In this morning's DomPost, I was fortunate enough to get a reply published to the letter we described here, which appeared on Tuesday.  My letter reads:

April 20th

No offensive stuff about the Queen or Royal Family

Submitted by Mike Wilkinson on 19 April, 2012 - 13:06

From our Facebook page, we recently banned a user who persistently posted derogatory and insulting comments about Queen Elizabeth.  Following that, we decided to warn our readership, the bulk of whom we love having on here, not to post anything offensive about the Queen or Royal Family. 

April 19th

The not-so-royal Easter Show

Submitted by LJ Holden on 18 April, 2012 - 22:58

Creeping republicanism!

There's a pile of junk mail in the kitchen I've just been sifting through. At the very bottom was a flyer for the "Coca-Cola Easter Show", this Easter weekend just been. Held at Greenlane, it was only after I'd chucked the flyer in the recycling that it dawned on me that the Coca-Cola Easter Show was once actually the Royal Easter Show.


Surprisingly, this hasn't been spun as "Republicanism by Stealth" or "Creeping Republicanism" by the opponents of a New Zealand republic. Which is unusual, as they usually complain at the slightest suggestion the monarchy has been undermined. It's doubtful that will happen here.

The end of the Royal Easter Show is just another example for a growing list of things disassociating themselves from the British monarchy in New Zealand.