The (de facto) Head of State's New Year message

Little by little, the office of Governor-General is becoming New Zealand's head of State. Government House announced today that the Governor-General is issuing a "New Year's Message":

The Governor-General said he had decided to issue an annual New Year's message to bring to attention a number of issues New Zealanders might consider as they looked to the future.

This appears to be a direct challenge to the Sovereign's Christmas Message. Whether he has intended it or not, the Governor-General has subverted, in a small and subtle way, the Queen's role. Her Majesty's message will look even more irrelevant to New Zealand now that the Governor-General is issuing a message of his own.

No doubt the message was vetted by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) for anything political  - nonetheless, this is a good move. Unlike the Queen's Christmas message, the New Year's message falls on a secular holiday, and New Year's is a great time to reflect on where New Zealand is going as a country. 

But I do have one grizzle with the message - or, more correctly, the office delivering it. The Governor-General appears to be (we don't know for sure, the text of the message isn't online yet) calling for more participation in democracy in New Zealand. There's nothing wrong with that - however, the Governor-General is not elected. They are appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, with little input from our elected representatives or the general public. That's not something His Excellency the Governor-General can change, mind you...

Hat tip: Dean Knight (Laws 179)