New Zealand Republic
New Zealand Republic Inc. is an organisation formed in 1994 whose object is to support the creation of a New Zealand republic.
The campaign chair is Savage, an Auckland trade unionist. The organisation is not aligned with any political party, its members and supporters are drawn from across the political spectrum.
Aims and principles
New Zealand Republic's constitution specifies the following aims and principles:- Involving all New Zealanders in the debate;
- Providing relevant and reliable information;
- Focusing on ideas, not personalities;
- Winning a referendum to establish the republic;
History
The organisation was formed in March 1994 and incorporated in February 1995, following National Party Prime Minister Jim Bolger's call for New Zealand to become a republic. Its membership was drawn from many political quarters and called the Republican Coalition of New Zealand. Some of the group's members had been involved in the successful campaign of the Electoral Reform Coalition for electoral reform at a referendum in 1993. In 1996, writer Keri Hulme became patron of the group.The group changed its name in 1999, coinciding with an unsuccessful Australian referendum on the same issue, to the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand, and again in 2014 to New Zealand Republic.
It participated in the Building the Constitution conference held in 2000, putting forward three recommendations: greater civics education, considering republicanism as an option and continued facilitation of the republic debate.
The group was unrelated to the former Republican Association of New Zealand, although Bruce Jesson was a member of New Zealand Republic until his death in 1999.
The group attracted controversy in 2008 by expressing disappointment that no member of the Royal Family attended the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary.
On 21 April 2008 the group released a poll of New Zealanders showing 43% support the monarchy should Prince Charles become king, and 41% support a republic under the same scenario. In October 2008, one week before the general election, the group released the results of an online poll held through a website named "The President of New Zealand". The poll allowed visitors to nominate and vote for their favoured New Zealander to be head of state. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa won the poll.
On 23 September 2009, the group launched a book entitled The New Zealand Republic Handbook, at an event hosted at Parliament by United Future leader Peter Dunne with several current and former MPs in attendance, including Green MP Keith Locke, Labour MPs Clare Curran, Charles Chauvel, Nanaia Mahuta and Phil Twyford, and National MPs John Hayes and Paul Hutchison.
The group participated in the Reconstituting the Constitution conference at Parliament in September 2010. Dean Knight, senior Victoria University of Wellington law lecturer and New Zealand Republic's constitutional advisor, put forward a so-called "soft-republic".
Policies
Head of State Referenda Bill
In 2002, Green Party MP Keith Locke drafted a member's bill titled the Head of State Referenda Bill, which was drawn from the members' ballot on 14 October 2009. It would have brought about a referendum on the question of a New Zealand republic. Three choices would be put to the public:- A republic with direct election of the head of state;
- A republic with indirect election of the head of state by a three-quarters majority Parliament; and
- The status quo.