When you look at the way 3 Waters became an existential race war and basic Indigenous representation was labelled apartheid, the chances of a rational debate around Republicanism are absolutely zero.
Any attempt to build a framework for Republicanism must address the relationship between the Crown and Māori and seeing as lots of European New Zealander’s feel they are under siege from Māorification because the weather has Māori words in it, engaging in any attempt to renegotiate that relationship is doomed to failure.
Right now the ACT Party is campaigning on using a referendum to redefine the Treaty with zero negotiation with Māori that ACT will then implement as law. This policy is likely to trigger a level of conflict in this country that we have never witnessed as Māori openly rebel at having a new Treaty that they haven’t negotiated forced upon them by ACT.
If we are merely 6 months out from an event that could trigger a race war, where the fuck does anyone think the space is to openly discuss a Republic?
We are simply not a mature enough culture to rationally debate a Republic.
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Speaking of ‘having a new Treaty that they haven’t negotiated forced upon them’.
What it’s claimed to be now isn’t the Treaty I learned about in Uni 23 years ago.
Said as somebody who fully supports the settlement process, but I’m not convinced co-governance was something the Crown of the time would have agreed to.
The problem really is that there will NEVER be the right time. How many times have I heard politicians make this sort of statement time and time again over a range of things.
I am not sure that is correct that Act are looking to have a referendum without any negotiation.
I think Act want the debate.
Trouble is Labour brought in cogovernance with no debate and hid HePuapua. So they are the ones trying to implement stuff without debate.
Btw not all Maori agree with the radical interpretation of the treaty. Te party Maori only get at best 4% of the vote. Suspect many of those are Pakeha.
Anker, ‘I think’ is not really suffecient – what are their `actual` plans, not just hearsay or wishful/hopeful thinking.
https://www.act.org.nz/act_proposes_referendum_on_co_governance
Thank-you for the link. ACT have stated what the new law will be if they are in power and the referendum agrees with it. I am not sure how, morally or legally, a majority can overrule the rights of indiginous people, given that we are signatory to the UN Charter on Indigenous People. As National signed that charter how could a National Government accept such a condition on a coalition with ACT?
A banana republic exists where a foreign country owns and controls the use of land and disposes subsistence farmers.
Ah ha Paul – you have fingered us.
I think republican – schmublican. What a 20th century idea. Most of us were having trouble dealing with ourselves and the country’s governance then. Who would you like to be the Publican of this retrograde lot of islands that once were near to Eden? Gauguin might have wanted to paint us. Certainly Germans did, in their psyche trying to retain the historic moments that were due to vanish before Hitler using semi-educated, minds with some fist and elbow to persuade the peeps to finish off the ideals and hopes of our Enlightenment and social advancement towards moral cohabitation on earth.
I listened to Dave Dobbyn’s band singing Loyal this morning. I think we should stick to King Charles 3 as he has stuck to his task of reflecting back to us the good that we have achieved, slightly tarnished though it is.
Dave D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp5D0Fp-OIs
With you GW
Whoever you choose as a head there will be those that do not agree so why spend time and effort working out who it should be and stay with the status quo
When we consider how batshit the world including NZ has become in recent times it makes perfect sense for us to become a Republic at this time. Bishop Brian Tamaki would be President on the condition he can cackle like Kamala Harris and have a Trans gender Frying Pan / tree stump as his VP. We’d need to do away with Parliament of course and the need for voting. God Save Bishop Brian. Long May He Reign Over Us.
Amen.
I’ve always envisaged Australia becoming a republic and then New Zealand thus too becoming a republic and then joining politically with Australia to form one large country.
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