IN THIS EDITION: Happy New Year!; Queen's Counsel Restored; Monarchist League Influences QC Decision; Aussie Senate Rejects Republic Vote; Mt Albert Candidates For A Republic; Poetry: Queen's Birthday In Waitaki; Republican Movement News.

Happy New Year!

Stars form the Matariki constellation.

MAYOR OF WAITAKERE and former Labour Party President Bob Harvey has joined calls for Queen's birthday to be replaced with a holiday for Matariki, the Maori New Year.

In May the Republican Movement argued that Queen's Birthday should be replaced with a public holiday better suited to winter in New Zealand. We suggested two options to replace Queen's Birthday - either a winter solstice holiday around June 21st - 22nd or a Matariki weekend.

Ngahiwi Tomoana, Chairman of Ngati Kahungunu, made his iwi's view clear. "Let's cut out the Queen's Birthday as a public holiday and replace it with Matariki." Te Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene has now introduced a private members bill into the ballot to create a public holiday for Matariki.

There are now Matariki celebrations all over New Zealand. Each year they grow larger. Queen's Birthday will fade away and be replaced by a celebration uniquely New Zealand.

Queen's Counsel Restored

ATTORNEY-GENERAL Chris Finlayson has announced the the title "Queen's Counsel" is to be restored. The Republican Movement has described the change as a retrograde step.

The change will put New Zealand out of step with most other Commonwealth jurisdictions, including all states of Australia. The Government states that it is taking these steps to protect "the essential independence" of the inner bar. That would have been possible without restoring the old title. Senior Counsel is a much more neutral term than Queen's Counsel.

The seven Senior Counsel appointed last year would have the option of adopting the title of Queen's Counsel or remaining as Senior Counsel. New Zealand will then have a mixture of both SC's and QC's, putting Senior Counsel in a awkward position amongst their peers.

Not all lawyers are supportive of the change either. Some lawyers have slammed the change, calling it "reactionary" and "unnecessary", and "preserving an elitist view of the law". One lawyer said "...this is only reinforcing the image of the law as something beyond the reach of many people at a time when they should be trying to embrace a more egalitarian view of such things," to legal news website LawFuel.

Monarchist League Influences QC Decision

THE MONARCHIST LEAGUE has used its influence within the Auckland District Law Society (ADLS) to campaign for the return of Queen's Counsel.

Chairman Professor Noel Cox, a barrister of the High Court, welcomed the restoration of Queen's Counsel, arguing the Government was "responding to calls from the legal profession". Professor Cox is well aware of these calls as he also chairs the Public Issues Committee of the ADLS, which in April published a paper calling for the restoration of Queen's Counsel. His brother John Cox, another Monarchist League member, is also on the committee.

Professor Cox chose not to mentioned this fact in his press release on the issue, instead choosing to extensively quote Attorney-General Chris Finlayson's reasons for returning to the QC title.

Finlayson's position itself has changed. In 2006, when QC's were renamed SC's he stated "...it is not the name that worries me so much as the concept of independence. I do worry that what we have created here undermines the essential independence of the silk, particularly by allowing Senior Counsel to practise in law firms."

Aussie Senate Rejects Republic Vote

AN INQUIRY BY THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE has recommended that a Bill to bring about a republic poll at the next Federal election should not proceed. The recommendation has effectively killed the Bill, proposed by Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown. The committee instead recommended that there is greater public education, and the Australians own the process "to the fullest extent possible".

Senator Brown said the committee refused to make any recommendations to "avoid embarrassment" for the Federal Government. He said there was no reason that the vote should not be held at the next election.

"There was no evidence which indicated that some specified future time will be better than the near future or, at least, during the next period of government if not the next election," he said in a statement.

Mt Albert Candidates For A Republic

A SURVEY OF CANDIDATES in this month's Mt Albert by-election showed strong support for New Zealand becoming a republic. Support also came from across the political spectrum. 11 of the 15 by-election candidates were in favour of New Zealand becoming a republic, including Labour candidate and now MP David Shearer and Green candidate and co-leader Russel Norman.

National candidate Melissa Lee and independent candidate Ari Baker did not answer the survey. Three candidates were undecided, including ACT MP John Boscawen. Simonne Dyer from the Kiwi Party was also undecided, but stated that "I don't relish the thought of Prince Charles as the King".

8 out of 15 would support Keith Locke's Head of State (Referenda) Bill for a republic referendum, if it is drawn from the ballot. Several made their support for a republic conditional on adopting a written constitution or safeguarding human rights and the Treaty of Waitangi.

Russel Norman said "Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed between the Crown and tangata whenua so when we move to a republic we need to ensure that the Crown side of that relationship is respected." Dakta Green, candidate for the ALCP said "A foreign head of State  is an anachronism  and has no place in modern New Zealand society. We should have an elected Head of State."

Poetry: Queen's Birthday Celebrations in Waitaki

This is the creative response we received from the Waitaki District Council regarding our inquiry on celebrations for the Queen's Birthday. We have reproduced the poem they sent us - with permission - below:

You inquired of his Worship the Mayor
" – are there any particular plans
To have a good time on the birthday
Of our Queen in a far distant land?"
Not really – would be the short answer
Though we hope to enjoy a free day
Like all of the rest of New Zealand
We'd no' miss a chance to go play
We hope that the Queen and her corgis
Enjoy a wee romp in the sun
Though birthdays for most are quite special
Being Queen – you can have more than one
A' the best fur this holiday Monday
Or... as Republicans do ye abstain?
Should ye visit the Waitaki Valley
Ye 'd be welcome – both Royalist or swain

Orrabest

Kim Paterson

Any member of the Republican Movement may submit an item to be published in this column - just contact us. All opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not reflect the views and policies of the Republican Movement.

Republican Movement News

THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT held its 15th Annual General Meeting on Saturday 6th June. At the meeting Dave Guerin stood down as Treasurer, and the Republican Movement passed a vote of thanks to Dave for his many years of service to the movement and republicanism in New Zealand. All other national executive members were re-elected unanimously. Oliver Woods took on the role of Membership Organiser, and Dean Knight became the Constitutional Adviser to the Republican Movement.

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. If you signed up online your membership should renew automatically one year after you signed up.