Happy Birthday Your Majesty

This graph of republic v monarchy polls 1989 - 2009 shows there is a clear trend of support towards a republic

A SURVEY OF NEW ZEALAND'S MAYORS has found not one is planning on celebrating the Queen's Birthday. The Republican Movement wrote to all of New Zealand's district and city Mayors in May. None indicated any celebration of the Queen's Birthday for the upcoming long weekend - instead, several announced they were holding celebrations for Matariki, the Maori new year.

Queen's Birthday weekend is supposed to be a time to celebrate the monarchy. But the weekend is a celebration of nothing. The Queen's actual birthday was  on April 21. We only have a holiday in June because the weather is better in the Northern Hemisphere then. The reason for the holiday is ignored by most New Zealanders and marked only as a long weekend. We should celebrate something unique about our place in the world. We could celebrate Matariki or the Winter solstice, a fun winter festival. The lack of celebrations shows that New Zealanders simply don't care about the monarchy anymore.

Bring a Friend

TO CELEBRATE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY the Republican Movement is launching an annual "Bring a Friend" Campaign.

About 40% of New Zealanders - that's about 1.3 million people - now support a republic. But to make it a reality we need more active members. This year and every year in June we want all members and all the readers of our newsletter to recruit one person each to the movement.

We all have friends family and workmates who want a republic as much we do so now is the time to talk to people around us to see just how committed they really are to starting a republic. Don't just sign up your boyfriend or your mum. Find a person who wants to be involved long term in transforming New Zealand for the better.

To sign up, see our membership page.

Ex-Canada Gov-Gen: Office Should Be Elected

FORMER CANADIAN GOVERNOR GENERAL Adrienne Clarkson has proposed that Canadian MPs be given the power to formally approve or confirm the person nominated by the Prime Minister to be the Queen's representative in Canada. Writing in The Star, journalist Bob Hepburn argued the former Governor-General's proposals didn't go far enough.

Hepburn noted that, in the lead up to Canada's annual Victoria Day holiday Canadians should be asking why they still have a "Queen of Canada" . He asked "Why we still tolerate being a constitutional monarchy with a foreign queen as our head of state, and why we cling to outdated and illogical practices such as having new immigrants swear or affirm loyalty to the Queen and her heirs".

Meanwhile, Canada's republican movement, Citizens for a Canadian Republic, held its annual get together on Victoria Day. The forum was dubbed "Canada after the Queen".

Satire: Jim Bolger to become next Governor-General

By Will de Cleene

John Key announced today that Jim Bolger will replace Hon Sir Anand Satyanand as Governor-General. Opponents are calling it Jobs for the Boys, whilst Key maintains Bolger's choice was not based along party lines.

"Mr Bolger has served this country for many years under a wide variety of governments," John Key said. "Helen Clark thought he had excellent governance skills, appointing him to several SOE boards including KiwiRail. Sir James will make an excellent contribution in this new role."

Leader of the Opposition, Labour leader Phil Goff, is not so sure. "This is just one more example of Jobs for the Boys," he said in a telephone interview with Radio New Zealand from a helicopter above Mt Albert." This is more rank than Spankin' Rankin's baubles of office," Goff shouted.

National candidate for Mt Albert Melissa Lee defended Bolger's appointment as well, saying that Bolger represents some of the rich diversity of New Zealand heritage. "We haven't had an old white guy as Governor-General since Keith Holyoake," she said from a safe house somewhere in the electorate.

When it was pointed out that the last old white guy head of state was Sir Michael Hardie Boys, who then prime minister Jim Bolger had suggested in 1996, Lee refused any further questions stating that talking was interfering with her campaign strategy for Mt Albert.

Republican Movement News

THE 15th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING for the Republican Movement will be held on Saturday, June 6^th at 5pm. All members of the Republican Movement are welcome to attend - for more details, see our events page.

A reminder to all Republican Movement members who signed up via post or direct credit, annual membership subscriptions are due on 1 July 2009. We'll send everyone a reminder letter prior to June 30.