Media Release: Opinion poll finds strong support for republic referendum

5 May 2023

Media Release: Opinion poll finds strong support for republic referendum

An opinion poll commissioned by New Zealand Republic, Kia Mana Motuhake a Aotearoa has found 41% of those surveyed support a referendum on our head of state, with 41% opposed and the rest undecided. The opinion poll was run by Curia and surveyed 1,000 voting age New Zealanders between 2 and 7 March 2023.

“At a time of a huge amount of hype in the media about the coronation, almost half New Zealanders want to have a say in whether our future head of state is the British monarch or a citizen of Aotearoa” said Lewis Holden, campaign chair of New Zealand Republic, Kia Mana Motuhake a Aotearoa.

“That’s why we’ve launched a petition to parliament calling for our MPs to pass legislation enacting a referendum on a republic. The legislation would make provision for transitioning the Governor-General to our actual head of state, putting in place an appointment process that ensures that a politician isn’t appointed to that role, while preserving the status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our Commonwealth membership” said Mr Holden.

“It’s time to put the monarchy to a vote in New Zealand and have a referendum on whether we cut ties with this increasingly irrelevant British institution” concluded Mr Holden.

NOTES

The petition for a republic referendum can be found here: Petitions - New Zealand Parliament

ENDS