The New Zealand Herald reports National leader John Key is keen to work with United Future should National form the Government following the upcoming election. This comes after United Future leader Peter Dunne re-iterated his party's commitment to a republic referendum by 2012 on TVNZ's Agenda program:

"On the question of replacing the monarchy with a New Zealand head of state, he said he had never made any secret that he wanted a change.

"I'd like to see us have a constitutional system very similar to the Irish presidency, and I think that could be achieved."

The problem with the debate about the constitution was that all sorts of different issues - a republic, the Treaty, a written constitution - got wrapped up together.

"What I have tried to do is unbundle them and take them as bite-sized chunks. Let's make progress on things step by step."

It will be interesting to see to what extent Mr Key will work with United Future following the election, specifically on constitutional issues. National has already promised a new referendum on MMP and has a policy of abolishing the Maori seats (probably by referendum also). United Future wants referendums on MMP, the Maori seats, a republic and the Treaty of Waitangi, so the two parties could work together on this front. Whether a republic is included in such a program is anyone's guess - in 1996, the first draft of the National-New Zealand First coalition document included a commitment to hold a referendum before any move to a republic, although this was removed from the final agreement.