This page presents the key facts about republicanism in New Zealand. We will develop our list gradually as questions about the facts set out here are raised, and link to relevant pages for specific issues and questions in the debate. If you have a question that isn't answered here, contact us and we will try to include it in the future.
The facts in the republic debate
- What is a republic?
- Who is our head of state?
- Isn't the Governor-General the head of state?
- What does the Queen do, and what can she do?
- What power does the Governor-General have?
- What will happen to coins and banknotes?
- What about armed forces names and the national anthems?
- Will we have to change our flag?
- Will we have to leave the Commonwealth?
- Aren't republics unstable?
- How will it affect the Treaty of Waitangi?
- What will be the difference between a republic and a monarchy?
The Oxford English Dictionary gives us two definitions of what a republic is:
- "1. A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. A nation that has such a political order."
By this measure New Zealand is already a republic. We already have a democratic system of government with elected representatives. However, the dictionary also defines a republic as:
- "2. A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president. A nation that has such a political order."
On this definition, New Zealand is not a republic. New Zealand, like the United Kingdom, is a constitutional monarchy with a hereditary monarch as its head of State.
Some people point to the fact that the Governor-General is like a head of State, and call New Zealand a "Crowned republic". We'll look at this question below.
Fact: A New Zealand republic means a New Zealander as New Zealand's head of state
Our head of State is the Queen and her representative in New Zealand is the Governor-General. Section 2(1) of the Constitution Act 1986 states:
- "The Sovereign in right of New Zealand is the head of State of New Zealand, and shall be known by the royal style and titles proclaimed from time to time."
Under New Zealand law (Section 2, Royal Titles Act 1974), the Queen's formal title is:
- "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith"
The law names the Sovereign "Queen of New Zealand" but that doesn't make the Queen a New Zealand Queen. The Queen still requires the permission of the British government to leave the United Kingdom, for example.
Our legal and governmental systems are based on the idea that New Zealand is a monarchy. The Queen is a part of our Parliament and the source of executive power. Justice is administered in the law courts in the name of the Queen. Our Parliamentarians swear allegiance to the Queen and defence forces swear to serve the Queen.
Fact: New Zealand's head of State is not a New Zealander
Isn't the Governor-General the head of State?
While the Governor-General does everything the Queen should do as our head of State, they're actually not the head of state themselves. Section 2(2) of the Constitution Act states:
- "The Governor-General appointed by the Sovereign is the Sovereign's representative in New Zealand."
Sometimes people get confused over the role of the Governor-General, and some say that the Governor-General is New Zealand's head of State, or that having a Governor-General is just like having a head of state of our own anyway. But in reality, the Governor-General is just the Queen's representative, and while we may have made the office a New Zealand one, that doesn't make the Governor-General a substitute for a New Zealand head of State.
Fact: The Governor-General isn't a substitute for a New Zealand head of State
What does the Queen do, and what can she do?
The Queen has immense legal powers and retains overall symbolic power. While the Prime Minister is the head of government, the legal power of executive government is actually vested in the Queen. We call the Prime Minister the head of government because under constitutional convention the Queen (and the Governor-General) only exercises their powers with the advice of the Prime Minister and the other Ministers.
Executive power is therefore gained from the Queen and her successors (selected by birth, religion and marital status). The key principle of the constitutional monarchy is summarised in the New Zealand Cabinet Manual:
"The Queen reigns, but the Prime Minister and Cabinet rule, so long as they have the support of Parliament"
Of course, the Queen does not change laws arbitrarily. She and her successors are bound by constitutional conventions - traditional ways of operating - that govern how the Queen and her representative in New Zealand, the Governor-General, behave. The most important point to remember is that while the Queen has substantial legal power, she does not use this power, instead the Queen is "above politics". This means the Queen does not intervene in the politics of New Zealand, even when there is a constitutional crises. In fact, the Queen has never intervened constitutionally in any of her Commonwealth realms (Commonwealth members where the Queen is also head of state).
The most important constitutional function the Queen performs is appointing the Governor-General as her representative, but this is done on the exclusive advice of the Prime Minister (as is the dismissal of the Governor-General). The Queen herself confirmed this in a public conversation with former Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies.
Fact: The Queen has substantial legal powers, but has no political power to use them
What power does the Governor-General have?
While the Queen is New Zealand's head of State, on a day-to-day basis, and even on a year-to-year basis, the Governor-General does all of the work of a head of state. That person signs bills into law, chairs weekly meetings of the Executive Council, appoints judges and appoints the Prime Minister.
There is a common myth that the Governor-General has the ability to hold the Prime Minister and Cabinet to account. This is not the case. As noted above, the Prime Minister retains the sole right to appoint and dismiss the Governor-General by advising the Queen. This means that the Governor-General must either act first (that is, fire the Prime Minister before they can fire them) or act within the so-called "reserve powers". The reserve powers kick in when the Prime Minister loses the confidence of Parliament (such as whenever they lose a vote of confidence in the house). But so long as the Prime Minister has the confidence of the house, the Governor-General must do what the Prime Minister advises them to do, otherwise the Prime Minister will fire them. So, despite having significant powers, the Governor-General is little more than the Prime Ministers' puppet.
Fact: The Governor-General is not an effective check on the Prime Minister and Cabinet
If we become a republic, what will happen to coins and banknotes?
Coins in New Zealand have a portrait of the reigning monarch on one side. When we became a republic it would be appropriate to change the design of coins to reflect this. The coins currently in use could continue to be used, and as new coins were minted they would incorporate the changed design. This is hardly a major cost, as new coins need to be minted with a new monarch from time to time.
Only the $20 note in New Zealand has a portrait of the Queen on it (although, in December 2000 the Reserve Bank held a survey, where 52% of respondents said the Queen's picture should be replaced with a New Zealander - cf New Zealand Herald). The $5, $10, $50 and $100 notes already have pictures of prominent and high achieving New Zealanders. When we become a republic the $20 note can also honour the contribution of New Zealanders to their country. Because banknotes are less hardwearing than coins this transition will be achieved more quickly than for coins.
Fact: Our coins and notes will change under the monarchy anyway
What about armed forces names and the national anthems?
New Zealand has two official national anthems; God Save the Queen and God Defend New Zealand with equal status. However, in practice God Defend New Zealand is recognised as New Zealand's national anthem, and played at major sporting and cultural events. When New Zealand becomes a republic we can retain God Defend New Zealand as our national anthem. God Save the Queen, which is rarely heard anyway, will no longer be appropriate as a national anthem for New Zealand.
At present the armed forces in New Zealand swear allegiance to the Queen as part of their commitment to defend New Zealand. If New Zealand becomes a republic the armed forces commitment to defend New Zealand will remain, however sworn allegiance to the Queen will be removed.
Fact: Our national anthem doesn't have to change when we become a republic
Will we have to change our flag?
It is not necessary for New Zealand to change its flag when it becomes a republic. Hawaii still has its colonial era flag, which includes the British Union Flag, despite being a state of the US. The New Zealand flag is defined in legislation by the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Amendment Act 1981.
Fact: Changing the flag and becoming a republic aren't the same issues.
> See where supporters of changing New Zealand's flag stand on a changing the flag and a republic
Will we have to leave the Commonwealth?
The majority of members of the Commonwealth (30 of 51) are republics. Fifteen have Governor-Generals, like New Zealand. The remaining seven have their own local monarchies, including the United Kingdom.
India was the first country in the Commonwealth to become a republic. Following independence in 1947, India became a republic in 1949. In that year the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth agreed to allow republican members of the Commonwealth, provided that they accepted the King [of the United Kingdom] as the Head of the Commonwealth.
The Queen is recognised as the Head of the Commonwealth. This position, however, is completely symbolic and has absolutely no domestic constitutional significance. Because of this, there is no inconsistency between New Zealand seeking to have its own head of State as a republic whilst recognising the Queen as symbolic Head of the Commonwealth.
New Zealand would still participate in the Commonwealth Games.
Fact: We won't have to leave the Commonwealth if we become a republic
> See our issue page on Commonwealth membership for more information.
The political stability of a country is not dependent on whether it is a republic or monarchy. Social and economic conditions, and the depth of commitment to democracy are much more important in maintaining political stability. Examples of political stability or instability can be found in republics and monarchies.
Thailand is a monarchy, but has a history of tenuous democratically elected governments and military coups. Japan is a monarchy, and has been very politically stable since instituting democratic government in the 1950s. The constitutional monarchy in Italy could not prevent Mussolini coming to power in the 1920s, or dictators in Greece in the 1970s.
The United States is a republic which has been stable and democratic for centuries. Germany is a republic which, like Japan, has been politically stable since re-adopting democratic government in the 1950s.
New Zealand has a proud democratic tradition stretching back to the nineteenth century. We had universal male suffrage in the 1860s, and were the first country in the world to give the vote to women, in 1893. Our long-standing democracy means a New Zealand republic will not be politically unstable.
Fact: Our stability comes from our democratic ethos, not whether we are a republic or monarchy
How will it affect the Treaty of Waitangi?
Becoming a republic does not affect the rights and obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi, just as it will not affect foreign debt or trade agreements or any other treaty.
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed between Queen Victoria and representatives of Maori iwi. However, the effective decisions were made by Governors and ministers. Since 1840 the monarch has treated Maori representations about the Treaty of Waitangi with, at best, polite ignorance, and, at worst, contempt.
The legal obligations of the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi have already been transferred from the Queen of the United Kingdom to the Queen of New Zealand, who are legally separate persons. When New Zealand becomes a republic the legal obligations of the Crown can be transferred from the legal Queen of New Zealand to the government of New Zealand.
Fact: A republic won't change the status of the Treaty
> For further information, see our Issue page on the Treaty and a republic.
What will be the difference between a republic and a monarchy?
This is a key issue in the republic debate, and depends on the sort of model the New Zealand people opt for. The most important symbolic difference between the status quo and a New Zealand republic will be that we'll have a New Zealander as our Head of state. Constitutionally, it will mean that we have a head of state able to act as a proper check on the Prime Ministers' powers, as most supporters of the monarchy allege the Governor-General is now.
Fact: A republic is an important, but simple step forward for New Zealand
> For further information, see our Issue page on the models of republican governments
Resources
- Republic debate - The Facts (52Kb) - A fact sheet of this page.
