Archive - 2011

When we become a republic a new way of handing out national honours will emerge. Government House has announced Queen's Birthday Honours but Queen's Birthday Monday will  not survive the transition to an elected head of state. At the same time the somewhat solemn, aristocratic and ecclesiastical approach to the awards ceremony will almost certainly give way (even more than it has already) to the more relevant traditions and tikanga of New Zealand and New Zealanders.

Handing out honours at New Years might remain a tradition but given most people are on their summer holiday we could just move the announcements to a national day that is more symbolic of the nation actually bestowing the recognition. I can see a future where the awards are made on Waitangi Day or Anzac Day. Perhaps even on Matariki. It would make sense to hand out the military awards on Anzac Day. The military awards are so often over shadowed by the main prizes that service men and women get little public recognition.

There won't be a wholesale change of course, but the system will naturally evolve and become more transparent. At present the whole system of handing out honours is mired in secrecy and accusations of nepotism and that is in no one's interest.  The Queen's Service Order will be retired and titles like Knights and Dames may well fade away.  Beginning the new republic will be a great  opportunity to revitalise the way we give thanks and
recognition to all those people who work for the greater good. 
 

After my earlier blog post about the Swedish King, Carl XVI Gustaf, I got talking with a close Swedish family friend about the Swedish monarchy.

Our close Scandinavian friends, the Swedes (who, in my humble opinion, seem very like NZers), are getting annoyed with their scandal-hit King, as summarised in this Swedish English-language news article.  Now, opinion polls are indicating that a decreasing proportion of the public support him.

I'm off on my honeymoon from today, Friday 27th May, until 26th June. In the mean time the Republican Movement's vice-chair, Savage, will be covering for me for any media queries. Savage can be contacted on his mobile at 021 620 987 or at editor@republic.org.nz

Andy Nichols writes in The Dominion Post in favour of four-year terms. Interestingly, a poll associated with the article states that a majority (at the time of writing) support four-year terms.

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