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Reform pointless - put the monarchy to a referendum instead
MEDIA RELEASE - 2 December 2009
The Republican Movement today condemned Prime Minister John Key's support for changing the Royal succession law as "pointless and half-baked".
"Instead of tinkering with the succession, Mr Key should be putting the monarchy to a referendum" said Lewis Holden, chair of the Republican Movement.
Mr Key made the statement to the New Zealand Herald, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago last week. The change would involve amending the succession to remove discrimination against Catholics and women. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed the changes, which require the consent of the 15 Commonwealth states Queen Elizabeth II is head of state of.
"It's great John Key is standing up for New Zealand's egalitarian principles. But the monarchy itself still discriminates against all New Zealanders - no New Zealander can aspire to being head of state of New Zealand. We urge Mr Key and his party to support the Head of State Referenda Bill, which would put the future of the monarchy to a referendum. That would be a far more productive use of Parliament's time" concluded Mr Holden.
NOTES
The Republican Movement today condemned Prime Minister John Key's support for changing the Royal succession law as "pointless and half-baked".
"Instead of tinkering with the succession, Mr Key should be putting the monarchy to a referendum" said Lewis Holden, chair of the Republican Movement.
Mr Key made the statement to the New Zealand Herald, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago last week. The change would involve amending the succession to remove discrimination against Catholics and women. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed the changes, which require the consent of the 15 Commonwealth states Queen Elizabeth II is head of state of.
"It's great John Key is standing up for New Zealand's egalitarian principles. But the monarchy itself still discriminates against all New Zealanders - no New Zealander can aspire to being head of state of New Zealand. We urge Mr Key and his party to support the Head of State Referenda Bill, which would put the future of the monarchy to a referendum. That would be a far more productive use of Parliament's time" concluded Mr Holden.
NOTES
- The New Zealand Herald reported that "New Zealand will give its support to change royal succession law that bans first-born daughters from ascending the throne and another law that bans Catholics from marrying into the royal family."
- More information on the Head of State Referenda Bill can be found at www.republic.org.nz/headofstatebill
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Comments
"China has for the first time
"China has for the first time outstripped New Zealand's traditional source of family immigration - the United Kingdom - to produce the highest number of new residents through the Family Sponsored Stream and the Partnership policy." http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10620758
Good news for supporters of a republic if the Chinese immigration trend continues and increasingly outstrips British. According to election study results on this site http://www.republic.org.nz/polling. British/Chinese ethnic breakdown on republic polling is as follows:
British-born respondents: Support 25% Oppose 75%
Chinese: Support 80% Oppose 17%.
However I expect the British BORN grouping has an older average age so the difference in republican sympathy may not be as great as this makes it appear. Anyway the increase in Chinese migrants makes the likelihood stronger for a success for a republic referendum. And of course this demographic change will come without the need for a referendum.
Well, two points here-
Secondly, the NZES sample size for ethnicities may have skewed the results. If they had eight university-educated middle aged male Chinese, that could've made up the 80%. But 10 people is not a good sample size.
Republican Movement chair
As the article in the Herald
I think you may be after the
That said, the NZES doesn't ask those questions so we'll never know. However I think it is mischievous to suggest an immigrant who is a republican must hate parliamentary democracy or the rule of law.
Republican Movement chair
Given that polls have consistently shown less than 50% support..
That justifies wasting time
Republican Movement chair
Which is more expensive?
A parliamentary debate on succession laws for the Head Of State or a series of referenda on republicanism - a topic that has not fired the imagination of a majority of NZers?
As an aside, it looks like the cause of OZ republicanism has suffered a set-back with the election of Tony Abbot to Liberal leadership in OZ. According to the Syd herald Abbot said: ''I support the monarchy, always have, always will, not because I'm a royal groupie,'' but ''It's a terrific system of government and I challenge anyone to come up with a better one.''
Sounds like Abbot is more ardently against Oz republicanism than John Howard.
It looks like John Key will
By the way, the last three polls on the republic v monarchy issue have shown support for the monarchy falling below the 50% mark. Considering in 1992 it was as high as 72%, there's clearly been a shift in public opinion.
Cost has got nothing to do with it. The Prime Minister is simply amending the succession laws to keep Gordon Brown onside. Unfortunately I don't think that'll stop Brown from abolishing ancestry visas or introducing air miles taxes on New Zealand goods, or call the attackers of Anchor Butter off.
On the subject of climate change, yes Abbott is a stauch monarchist - he used to be the National Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM). So his position is expected. Also expected is Abbot's defeat at the next Federal Election. Fighting the election on the ETS is idiotic. Currently polling shows they'll lose, and badly - and they'll also lose the Senate. Election 2010 will be more fun for the ALP.
The Liberals would've been much better off with Joe Hockey. He had the political nouse to understand that whipping the Liberals to vote against the ETS is not in his parties interests, while acknowledging that the ETS itself might not be in the best interest of Australia. His only problem was he's pro-republic (cf SMH), and Turnbull's protege. More importantly, the Liberals have handed a wedge to Rudd on the republic issue.
On the other hand, if Abbott was to win he'd be in the unenviable position of being a climate change skeptic with a climate change activist head of state and a heir who regularly makes statements on the issue. Should Charles become King, he'll clash with Abbott quicker than you can say "Edward VIII" and will be off the throne before you can say "Stanley Baldwin"... but luckily for monarchists that's not likely to happen.
Republican Movement chair
Hang on a minute Lewis, are
Probably not, but it would be
I suspect you're right though, he'll treat Australia like a foreign country and be done with it. After all, he did tell a NZ journalist he didn't want to intervene in the politics of Commonwealth countries.
Republican Movement chair
That makes sense. But don't
Opps, yes.
Republican Movement chair
Cancelling a gneral election
is an exaggeration of your point, which I do take but not in total agreement.
I do think that eventually supporting the British monarch remaining as NZ HoS will be like King Canute trying to hold back the tide but imo that is perhaps a generation away. (Maybe Prince Harry could move to Ngaruawahia, marry a Turangawaewae princess and become heir to the NZ throne and start a NZ Windsor/Tainui dynasty). I just hope that the replacement constitution will be robust and help retain and even bolster the rule of law, parliament and almost corruption-free government we have.
The conservatives in the UK may reverse the ancestry visa policy. They would dearly prefer the "old commonwealth" citizens to have entry as opposed to the "new commonwealth" or "new accesion EU" especially in credit crunched Britain.
I have to say I liked your cynical summation of international politics...you could have been a writer for "Spittin' Image" or "public Image". Are you old enough to remember those satires? A good use for latex. Anyway have a good dry weekend.
Oh yes! I love Splittin Image
Republican Movement chair
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