Republic
Monarchy represents the belief that the authority of government devolves from a single individual (the Sovereign). Republicanism is based on the principle that the authority of government is gained through the consent of the governed.
Making the change from our monarchy to a New Zealand republic is one that would see us become a parliamentary republic. A Head of State who would be a New Zealander is the most notable change we would see. What else will a republic mean for New Zealand? Read on to discover the changes it would evoke.
Head of State
Government House, future
home of the President?
As a republic, New Zealand would have a head of state who is not a monarch. The current Queen and her successors would no longer reign over our country, instead, we would have our own figure, the President of New Zealand.
The President would be the representative of New Zealand and all the peoples of New Zealand. He or she would take on the powers and roles that are currently exercised by the Queen and her representative here, the Governor-General. For information on these roles, see the Governor-General section of the Monarchy page.
It is important to note that although 'President' is the common title for a head of state in a republic, we could choose any title we liked as highlighted by an article in Salient:
...we could call the head of state role, the Dejazmach of New Zealand. Regent, Satrap, or even Indlovuzaki, which translates as "Great She Elephant", heck we could probably make up some title. Kiwi Master General has a nice ring to it. -Republica, Jackson Wood
Government
It is a common misconception that a President would have complete power, probably due to the images of America and George W. Bush we associate with presidency. Not all republics work in the same way, our system of government would remain as a parliamentary democracy with the day-to-day running of the government handled by the Prime Minister and the House of Representatives.
The Head of State (Referenda) Bill
The Head of state (Referenda) Bill is a Bill sponsored by Green MP Keith Locke. If drawn from the Members' Bill Ballot and passed by Parliament, a referendum will take place on the issue of New Zealand becoming a republic. All New Zealanders who are eligible to vote will decide from three options:
- No Change - New Zealand would remain a monarchy with a British head of state (a Queen or King).
- Parliamentary election - We become a republic with a head of state nominated by the people of New Zealand and chosen by a three-quarters majority of Parliament
- Direct election - Also means New Zealand would become a republic but the head of state would be nominated and elected by the people of New Zealand, rather than Parliament as in the second option.
Issues
Treaty of Waitangi
In strict legal terms, if New Zealand became a republic tomorrow it would make no difference to the Treaty of Waitangi. -Noel Cox, Monarchist League of New Zealand
The primary issue surrounding New Zealand becoming a republic is the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty is an agreement between Maori and the British Crown. It has been suggested that because the document was signed with the British Crown then becoming a republic (and breaking the link with Britain) would nullify it. However, the British Crown was only party to the Treaty until the division of the British Crown and the adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947 to legalise our independence. This changed the other party in the Treaty to the newly-formed New Zealand Crown. Without the link to Britain, the change would be quite simple. The responsibilities of the government under the Treaty would transfer over to a republic.
Commonwealth
It has been suggested that if New Zealand were to become a republic then we would lose our place in the Commonwealth. It is highly unlikely that this would occur. 30 out of the 52 countries which make up the Commonwealth are already republics, most of which were former British colonies or protectorates at one point (like New Zealand). As added assurance, when Australia held a referendum on republicism in 1999 the then Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Emeka Anaouku stated:
Let me make it absolutely clear that, whatever the outcome of the referendum, there is no question of Australia's membership of the Commonwealth being in doubt.
The statement would mean the same if New Zealand became a republic.
Flag
Due to the inclusion of the Union Jack on the flag, some people believe our flag will have to change if we become a republic. While a change may be suitable, it is by no means necessary. The Union Jack itself is included on our flag to give "recognition to our historical foundations and the fact that New Zealand was once a British colony and dominion." (Ministry of Culture and Heritage), not as a sign of our monarchy. This means whether our flag stays around or is replaced would be entirely up to New Zealand.
National Anthems
While we only ever hear God Defend New Zealand at sporting events and special occasions, New Zealand actually has two national anthems. The first makes no reference to the Queen, however, our second anthem is titled God Save the Queen. This would most likely lose its anthem status if we became a republic. This isn't a big issue, the song is hardly used and very few people actually know the lyrics although it is one of the steps that New Zealand would need to take when moving away from the Monarchy.