Monarchy
The Royal Coat of Arms of
New Zealand
New Zealand is currently a Parliamentary Democracy and a Constitutional Monarchy. We have been so since 1947 when we adopted the Statue of Westminster, giving us independence from Britain. It means we have a non-executive head of state (our Queen). She has a representative here, the Governor-General, who holds many important roles. Read on to find out more about our monarchy, the people who make it and its history before finding out why some people think we should stick with the status quo on the debate page.
The Queen
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II is our current head of state, or sovereign. In 1952, the start of her reign, she was proclaimed in New Zealand 'Queen of this Realm and all her other Realms'. Her role as Queen of New Zealand is distinct from her role as the Queen of England. The Queen has no involvement in the running of the country, this is carried out by the Prime Minister and House of Representatives. The few duties that a monarch does have under a Parliamentary Democracy are instead carried out by her representative in New Zealand, the Governor-General as the Queen chooses to remain 'above politics'.
For all the bureaucracies, intrigues, economies, records and politics, a human being sits atop and rallies our best collective values. -Brian Anderton
The Queen's Christmas Speech 2007
Queen Elizabeth II delivers her annual Christmas Speech to the realms over which she reigns. The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by George V on the BBC Empire Service. Today the broadcast is made on television and recently made its way onto the internet. Source: YouTube
The Governor-General
Anand Satyanand
Acting on behalf of the Queen in New Zealand is the Governor-General, Anand Satyanand. The Governor-General has three important functions - the constitutional, the ceremonial and the community.
Constitutional
The purpose of the constitutional role is to maintain the legitimacy and continuity of government. The Governor-General does this by formally requesting the leader of the political party which gains the support of a majority in Parliament to form a government and by assenting to the enactment of legislation.
In some cases, the Governor-General may exercise a degree of personal discretion, under what are known as the "reserve powers" (and even then convention usually dictates what decision should be taken). The most important is the appointment of a Prime Minister following an election, or accepting the resignation of an incumbent Prime Minister.
Other reserve powers are to dismiss a Prime Minister, to force a dissolution of Parliament, to refuse a Prime Minister's request for an election, and to refuse assent to legislation.
Ceremonial
The Governor-General takes part in public ceremonies as the individual who represents the state. This role includes such duties as the opening of new sessions of Parliament, holding honours investitures, welcoming visiting Heads of State and attending Waitangi Day commemorations.
The Governor-General's participation in state ceremonies is guided by tradition and protocol.
Community
The Governor-General provides non-partisan leadership in the community. New Zealand Governors-General are always the patrons of many charitable, service, sporting and cultural organisations. The sponsorship or patronage of the Governor-General signals that an organisation is worthy of wide support. Many of the Governor-General's community functions also have a ceremonial dimension, such as attendance at the official openings of buildings, addresses to open conferences, or launching special events and appeals.
The Governor-General's community role is by far the busiest; there are 400 to 500 functions to attend yearly. During his regular visits around the country, the Governor-General meets thousands of New Zealanders where they live and work, and talks and listens to citizens in all walks of life.
The Role of the Governor-General
Anthony Haas from the Centre of Citizenship Education discusses the role of our Governor-General. The clip includes information about the role itself and the background of Anand Satyanand, our current Goveror-General. Source: YouTube
Government House
Government House in Wellington, home to the Governor-General
Government House in Wellington is the official home of the Governor-General and his spouse. Each year, there are usually over 15,000 visitors invited to one or more of the many functions held there. In addition, members of the Royal Family, Heads of State and other distinguished guests often stay at the House when they are visiting New Zealand. There is also a Government House in Auckland.
Timeline of our Constitution
1840
Following the arrival of the British, New Zealand became a colony of Britain with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
1907
New Zealand became a dominion. The move from a colony had no practical effect. New Zealand was no less independent from Britain. It was more a case of perceptions, separating ourselves from lesser 'colonies'.
1947
New Zealand adopted the Statue of Westminster, legalising our independence from Britain. It meant the formation of the New Zealand Crown and the end of the British Crown here. The responsibility for the Treaty of Waitangi transferred to the New Zealand Crown as it was originally signed by the British. The adoption of the Act was the start of our Constitutional Monarchy.
1952
The reign of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of New Zealand began.