Issues

Issues in the republic debate

This section contains all the key issues in the republic debate, and issues raised in the debate by the Republican Movement.

60 Years of New Zealand Citizenship

6 September 2008 marks 60 years of New Zealand citizenship. Over half a century ago New Zealand's Parliament passed the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948, which made New Zealanders "British subjects and New Zealand citizens" from 1 January 1949, rather than solely British subjects.

Elect the Governor-General

One way to create a republic is to elect the Governor-General first, then hold a referendum to make the Governor-General New Zealand's head of state. The next representative of the Queen in New Zealand will need to be appointed sometime in 2011.

Dominion: The First Step

2007 marked one hundred years since New Zealand took the first step towards becoming a republic, by declaring itself a dominion within the British Empire.

Models of a republic

This page compares the different republican models of governments around the world to New Zealand's current constitutional status quo. None of these examples are meant as definitive models of what a New Zealand republic might look like - every republic is different and created by its citizens out of its circumstances - but the models presented here are a guide to the model a New Zealand republic could follow.

The Treaty of Waitangi and a republic

This page looks at the issues around the position of the Treaty of Waitangi in a future New Zealand republic. The Treaty is a key issue in the republic debate. There are two sub-issues - the constitutional position of the Treaty in a republic, and the standing or mana of the Treaty.

Commonwealth membership

The Republican Movement supports New Zealand's continued membership of the Commonwealth of Nations - we believe New Zealand should move from Commonwealth realm to a Commonwealth republic.

The Head of State Referenda Bill

The Head of State Referenda Bill is a members' Bill drawn from the Parliamentary ballot of members Bills on 14 October 2009. If passed would enable two referendums on the republic issue. The Bill itself presents two republican options - a directly elected head of state or an indirectly head of state; under both New Zealand would become a Parliamentary republic.

Swearing to the Queen: the Oaths debate

Thousands of New Zealanders are required every year to swear allegiance to the Queen, instead of New Zealand. While not strictly a republican issue, the Oaths debate is part of the republic debate, because it's a question of symbolism.

As part of our campaign for a republic, the Republican Movement wants Oaths to the Queen changed to allegiance to New Zealand.

Commonwealth Common Cause

Commonwealth Common Cause is an alliance of Commonwealth republican groups, of which the New Zealand Republican Movement is a member. Sharing a Commonwealth heritage, four republican organisations in Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand joined forces in April 2005 to pursue their common cause, to bring about four new Commonwealth republics across the globe.

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