New Zealand is in the international news thanks to bucket of horse manure man. What must Charles and Camilla think?

Another triumph for the New Zealand Minister of Tourism.

These are the people whom the government recommended to the Crown and are routinely accepted. Upgrading that process to the government

1. recommending a choice to parliament and if that choice receives 75% support then it is accepted

or

2. a range of candidates names go to parliament and all those receiving 75% support as candidates go onto a list and the public decides.

I prefer the term Crown Governor to president given we are still in the Commonwealth with a Crown head. And because existing commitments (Treaty) remain with the Crown of New Zealand.

He’s hardly a wacko, given that he is an international management consultant

Wow. Really? Like Cunners? Well, that settles it then. He should know what’s good for us.

What part of life endangering wedgie don’t you understand?

cheers

David Prosser

We should have our own head of state. Direct popular election. Any NZ citizen can stand, including the present head of state and any of her descendants. Run-off election required if no candidate receives 50% of the popular vote. Term to be six years, limited to two terms.

alex
Not every international management consultant is a whacko, but one may as well assume so for all practical purposes.

A more general point though, we should avoid thinking about the monarchy as a political football, or based on who is next, or second or third in line to the throne. This would be a monumental decision either way, we’d be doing away with an institution, rather than the personalities that currently occupy that institution. As such any decision has to be made for more of a reason than just President Clark vs King Charles, because in 10 years time neither will still be realistically in contention for either role.

Again, New Zealand’s present status as a de facto republic with a Royal remnant as figurehead, is hard to beat. It’s cheap, keeps the political rabbit numbers under control, and keeps the layers of political bureaucracy to a minimum.

Why is republicanism so strong in Wellington? Do some Wellingtonians hunger for opportunities from another layer of bureaucracy? Do they lust for the opportunity of additional endless chatter about political trivialities? Don’t they realise their political jibber-jabber bores the rest of the country shitless?

Of course the best solution is the one we have currently – but if there is to be a change then the selection process has to be balanced.

The beauty of the Royal family and the GG is that its not Queen Elizabeth, but its The Office of the Queen – or when big ears takes over – the office of the king. The UK has spent several hundred years in conflict both of thought and of war types – arriving at the set of rules and regulations under which the English system of government works. Its a set of rules thats been fairly well tested and seems to work pretty well.

The trouble with a new system is that there is an awful tendency to by pass lessons learned…………….

It would prevent any delusions of grandeur that “President” may produce.

Popular vote – no way
Via parliament – no way (absolutely no way – talk about vested interests and jobs for the boys, “It was you turn last time, its our turn this time” etc, etc)

The only way would be by impartial appointment – and thats going to be pretty hard to be sure its without influence (sort of like how the current head of state is arrived at – its predetermined and is without influence…..)

First of all the Head Of State would have to retain the current powers of being able to kick the government out if things got bad. Police and armed forces loyalty would have to be to the HOS.

Id consider an appointment panel made up of a group as follows (but not limited to them)

The Chief Justice
The Attorney General
The Head of the Armed forces
The president of the Waitangi Tribunal
possibly the current HOS
Someone from a business community body (eg: The round table)
The chief Union person
A representative of the Universities of NZ
and a couple of lay people selected at random from the list of registered voters
(No MPs or anyone from a political party)

Thats about the only way it could be done and be seen as a good process. And they would have to vote by secret ballot – maybe with the results made public.

Change will not be happening any time soon James old boy regardless of how illogical you think the current arrangements are.

I certainly don’t disagree with that, but then I’m a pommie who would like to see my country, by which I mean England, as a republic again. I’d go with a Lord Protector rather than a President, but the Saxe-Coburgs can keep their heads on their shoulders this time.

Seems an opportune time when we get another odd-numbered Charles…maybe that’s why he reputedly wants to be “George VII”?

Except we are not part of something bigger.

But that’s the way it *feels*.

I understand and agree with the rational argument for Republicanism. But it will go nowhere. People will choose to feel part of the Wills n’ Kate story rather than the alternative – which will be some dour political appointment, probably Maori. Probably a woman. And probably disabled.

The Royals have a great story. NZ Republicanism does not.

If they really wanted to get some support or open up a debate they would suggest the Treaty of Waitangi also dies with the monarchy as after all it is an agreement with the crown, and the crown is no longer around. But that would take guts and they dont have that.