Fighting for the Republic

The Australian republic debate provides New Zealanders with a rich resource of polls, ideas and experiences. Fighting for the Republic documents the 1999 republic referendum campaign, and is a useful insight for New Zealand republicans.

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Republican Movement's Chairperson during the referendum campaign, goes even further and provides us with personal reflections and political insights in this, his campaign diary. The book starts in February 1998, but the main focus is from July to November 1999, in the run-up to the referendum vote. While we all know the ending, this is an essential read to understand the ways in which the debate about republicanism works on the ground.