Comments attributable to Savage, campaign chair of New Zealand Republic:

"Kings Birthday is an empty public holiday that celebrates nothing in particular. It is no one's birthday and even the Brits don't celebrate it as a public holiday".

"It has already been surpassed by Matariki as a proper, meaningful public holiday. New Zealand Republic was one of the first groups to start campaigning for Matariki and we are campaigning to replace King's Birthday with a Spring time public holiday in September. To fill in the 12 weeks or so without a day off between Matariki and Labour Day.

"July through September is a real drought for public holidays and it would be better to space the holidays out".

"There are two contenders for a nice spring break. Citizenship Day when New Zealand citizenship was officially established on 6 September 1948 by the passing of New Zealand Citizenship Act. So that we were no longer British subjects but New Zealand citizens. The other strong contender is of course Suffrage Day - 19 September. When the new Electoral Act was signed into law in 1893 so that women could vote. Both are days that all New Zealanders can celebrate".

"We support Mondayisation of either date so it always creates a long weekend in the Spring just as the weather is fining up".

ENDS