Banks resignation highlights use of supermajority voting

John Banks has resigned as an MP but a cross-party supermajority in parliament will over-ride the need for a by-election in Epsom.

New Zealand could use a supermajority to appoint our next head of state so the Epsom decision will be a great opportunity for Kiwis to see how supermajority voting works.

The Epsom by-election vote is necessary under Sections 129 and 131 of the Electoral Act. As soon as the Speaker declares the Epsom seat vacant the Governor-General has 21 days to issue a writ (to the Electoral Commission) to hold a by-election. If the vacancy occurs within six months of a general election however, parliament can stop the writ being issued.

Under the Act the decision can only be made by a supermajority of MPs. This means 75%  - 91 out of 121 - MPs have to support it and in the current parliament only the Labour Party has enough MPs to reach the 75% threshold (National and all non-Labour MPs number only 87).

Supermajority decisions ensure the government of the day consults and reaches a consensus with opposition parties. Supermajorities are also a way to entrench legislation. Certain sections of the Electoral Act (See Section 268) are protected and cannot be repealed or amended except by public referendum or a parliamentary supermajority.

New Zealand Republic supports the use of supermajorities in reforming our head of state. If indirect election (by a parliamentary vote) is chosen by voters as the best way to select a Head of State then a supermajority would be needed.  We also advocate that no democratically selected head of state could be dismissed except by a supermajority. 

It is important that the Head of State is politically neutral and the appointment has widespread support, especially as the office-holder may be called on to act as an independent referee on constitutional issues. A supermajority vote in Parliament is one way of making sure the right person is chosen for the job and the legitimacy of the role is maintained.

Instead of an unelected Head of State and a Governor-General appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister New Zealand would have an independent Head of State protected by a supermajority.

The finer details of how this might work would need to be decided by an independent constitutional commission. Our blueprint for the selection of the Head of State proposes this and builds in tried-and-tested constitutional safeguards. The blueprint also ensures that these technical rules and safeguards are robust and fit-for-purpose.

The two-stage referendum process builds in an independent constitutional commission to review these aspects - dotting the i's and crossing the t's before NZers have a final vote whether to move to an independent NZ HoS. Supermajorities are part of the answer to our head of state problem. You can read more about our proposals on this website.

Costs for 10 day visit equivalent 4 years travel for Governor-General

New Zealand Republic is disputing the cost of hosting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge saying "the money spent for a ten day visit would be better spent on the Governor-General's increasing travel costs".

"The costs of hosting the royal visit in April have been understated and the benefits to tourism in New Zealand have been deliberately overstated"  said Savage, the campaign's Chairman. 

"Internal Affairs has announced it cost $ 1035 000 to host the royal couple but this figure excludes the cost of flying them around, the cost to local councils and the associated costs of numerous other government departments including the cost of entertaining the media who followed them. In 2012 Charles and Camilla cost taxpayers $425 000 for six days of travel. Based on that figure we are looking at another $700 000 on the Air Force alone".

"We are carrying out our own analysis and have requested information from 25 local bodies and government agencies. We expect the figure is closer to $2 million which equates to the Governor-General's travel budget for the next four years".

"Royal visits are interesting for some of us but overall Kiwis would be better off if we spent our money on the Governor-General who is far more important and who does all the actual work of a head of state".

"44% of New Zealanders want a New Zealander to be head of state.  The Governor-General's travel budget has increased because of war commemorations in Europe over the next four years. Last year alone it increased from $307 000 to $465 000. Right now he is in Normandy for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Why spend money hosting royalty when it can be better spent on other priorities".

No diamonds on the door handles at Government House

The elaborate diamond and gold-encrusted coach added to Buckingham Palace's collection this month reiterates why it is time for New Zealand to do things differently. We don't need a head of state surrounded by elaborate, ostentatious luxury and arcane ritual. We need a head of state who New Zealanders can talk with and relate to; someone who is one of us.

The position of Head of State is the highest public honour any New Zealander can achieve but no New Zealanders are eligible.  Sir Jerry Mateparae is the closest thing we have to a head of state at present but despite doing all the work of the head of state he is not accorded the full honour.  His merits and his mana as a person mark him out as an ideal candidate but unless we reform how our head of state is chosen he, and others like him, will never be recognised or respected in the way they should be. 

So, while the fleet of elaborate gold carriages and luxury cars grows ever larger at the palace, New Zealand Republic's campaign for a Kiwi Head of State is intent on making sure our head of state is one of us. 

We don't need diamond encrusted door handles or rare and vintage Rolls-Royces to make it work. We just need a head of state that works hard, remains independent and who represents us all regardless of how wealthy we are or what party we vote for.

BBC and Herald highlight head of state problem

Today's NZ Herald article about a BBC documentary that confused our Attorney-General with our Governor-General highlights what is wrong with our current arrangements. The role of New Zealand's Governor-General is not properly understood either here or overseas.

The documentary was about Claridges hotel in London during the buildup to the London Olympics. Our Governor-General attended the Olympics and the trip was paid for from the Government House's travel budget. The BBC were told that the New Zealand 'Attorney-General' was about to visit.

That the hotel or the BBC should make the mistake seems, in isolation, a minor mistake but it points to the larger problem.

Our current 'head of state' lives on the other side of the world and cannot properly represent us so instead NZ sends the person who does all the actual work of head of state.

Our Governor-General frequently travels overseas because, as the Herald points out, "as head of state, Sir Jerry Mateparae represents New Zealand at many events".

The Governor-General is not however accorded the full respect due to a visiting head of state.  It is not always clear to people overseas just what the role of Governor-General (or is that Attorney-General?) actually entails.

So common is the problem that at Waitangi Day this year John Key said of Mateparae, "He's our head of state, and he deserves to be treated with respect".

We spend $6 million a year on our 'head of state'. It is expected we will spend $2.0 million on overseas travel over the next four years. Let's accept the reality of what our Governor-General is and give the position the respect it deserves.

Replacing Queen's Birthday weekend

Queen's birthday weekend is slowly turning into something else. The actual day doesn't coincide with anyone's actual birthday or commemorate any actual event. Neither is it celebrated on the same day by any other 15 commonwealth realms. The only reason it is held on the first Sunday in June is because in 1908 it was moved to June to take advantage of better summer weather in the UK. This year it will happen on June 14th in the UK.

Some royalists stage an annual dinner but to most New Zealanders is little more than a long weekend at the start of winter. Last year Waterfront Auckland staged a 'Best of British' event on Queen's Wharf. This year they have re-themed it as Queen's Birthday on Queen's Wharf and made a conscious effort to include Irish cultural events as well. Their event is not about just about the UK. It celebrates all the cultures and languages of the entire British Isles including the Republic of Ireland. It is still only small but one day it may compliment larger cultural festivals like Diwali and Chinese New Year.

The Queen's Birthday Honours will of course be announced on Monday but the Queen has no say in who is awarded them. The weekend is clearly no longer about New Zealand's links to the British Monarch. It is simply a marker of winter in the southern hemisphere.

It seems likely that once New Zealand achieves its own head of state, Queen's birthday weekend will be replaced or renamed as an event. The two leading contenders for a winter weekend or public holiday are Matariki and the Winter Solstice (on June 22nd). This might hinder the marketing of Queen's Wharf but it is unlikely to put a dent in Waterfront Auckland's plans to promote it self as a leading venue for civic events.

What happens to Queen's Birthday is not central to the issue of having an independent head of state but it is one of the smaller decisions to be made as we make the transition. Whatever happens it is hard to imagine New Zealanders giving up the chance for a long weekend. It may be that events in Auckland will grow and spread in popularity and that the first Sunday in June will simply transform itself into larger celebration of our European heritage.

If Matariki becomes a public holiday it may well add one more to the annual calender. If it Either development would be yet another reason to celebrate life in New Zealand.

Harre supports Head of State reform

Newly appointed Internet Party leader Laila Harré supports having a New Zealand head of State. She argued in favour of reform on TV3's The Vote last year. You can watch the entire programme online here or read the transcript here.

In Part Two of the programme she made it clear " this debate isn’t about how we feel about the Royals, or any particular Royal, it’s about how we feel about ourselves as New Zealanders"

Support for change exists across the political spectrum and it is heartening to see yet another party leader looking to make the change. Laila Harré is not in parliament yet but her willingness to address the issue and articulate the core issues marks her out as someone willing to work with any person who shares a commitment to improving our Head of State.

New Zealand Republic is not aligned with any political party and we are actively working to ensure all political parties have a clear policy on New Zealand's highest public office. A New Zealand Head of State needs to symbolise and represent the interests of all New Zealanders regardless of who they are, whether they vote and who they vote for.