Both NZPA and TV3 News have reported our announcement of candidates for head of State. Below are some of the unedited reactions so far:
"The great kiwi archetype runs through all nominees. Am looking forward to the next round of voting. I nominated Jeremy Wells, so it will be interesting to read the candidate profiles before the next vote."
At first glance, there's an awful lot of knighthoods in there - suggesting either that at least some of those knighted in the past were worthy and didn't just buy their honours like Michael Fay, or that we have an exaggerated respect for the holdovers of feudalism. There's also some pretty good candidates in there, with Bob Jones (whose primary claim to fame is being rich and obnoxious) as an obvious exception. I'm also not sure what Wilson Whineray has done to deserve nomination other than play rugby; while I'm sure that's considered desirable by some segment of the population, I don't think its enough of a qualification even for a figurehead president.
Queen for president?
THE Kiwi Republican Movement has announced some interesting candidates among the 10 citizens it has nominated to be the first president of New Zealand, in anticipation of the place one day becoming a republic. More than 1000 people nominated their favourites on the movement's website. The Queen got a lot of votes but chairman Lewis Holden reckons she isn't eligible because she is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident. Among the top 10 are: historian James Belich, former prime minister Jim Bolger, opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa and former All Blacks captain Wilson Whineray.
PM Helen Clark has previously said she considers a republic inevitable.
New Zealand doesn't need a president
Presidents are invariably a dead loss. When has the United States ever had one worth a tin of fish.
The Republican Movement here has announced its top 10 nominees for the first President of New Zealand.
It says more than 1000 people named their preference on its website and nominees have been ranked by the number of nominations received.
The top 10 are: James Belich, Jim Bolger, Sir Douglas Graham, Sir Robert Jones, Sir Kenneth Keith, Don McKinnon, Claudia Orange, Vincent O'Sullivan, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Wilson Whineray.
Well, that's not a bad list, actually.
On second thoughts, I might vote for Sir Wilson. But anything that might cost us money is a waste of time. Our parliamentarians are already bleeding the country dry.
Jimmy Sirrell
