The republic question

WELLINGTON: Many of New Zealand’s highestranking politicians count themselves as republicans, but in the days following the Queen’s death are keeping their cards close to their chests.

While leaders of the two major parties have both stated they believe it will happen one day, they say the public is not agitating for such a change.

However, the Maori Party and the Green Party say that conversation is already under way, and have reiterated calls for constitutional transformation with the Treaty of Waitangi at the centre.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has long made her views clear and maintained she believed the country would probably break with the monarchy within her lifetime.

Months even before she became prime minister in 2017, Ms Ardern said it was time to ‘‘start the conversation’’.

Since then, she has softened her tone, maintaining it was not part of her agenda.

‘‘The issue of a republic for New Zealand is not something that is on my agenda or this Government’s agenda,’’ Ms Ardern said yesterday.

‘‘I do think that it will be a conversation New Zealand keeps progressing, but I’ve never seen the urgency of it. And, of course, this week, it’s all about paying our respects.’’

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has previously said he was a republican, though it was not a strongly held view.

He said yesterday there was not a strong appetite for change.

‘‘I think the reality is people are quite satisfied with our constitutional arrangements now, as I am, too.

‘‘I think at some point in my lifetime, there will be a conversation in New Zealand . . . and people are ready for that conversation. I just sense that it’s not now.’’

Act New Zealand leader David Seymour said New Zealand had one of the ‘‘longestrunning and most stable democracies in the world’’.

‘‘The alternative is to start electing another politician. And as the Americans have found, once you hit a stake they can cause quite a lot of problems.’’

Mr Seymour said breaking with the monarch could also raise questions about the Treaty of Waitangi.

‘‘The Treaty of Waitangi was a contract between Queen Victoria and a large number of iwi leaders at that time.

‘‘If you take the Queen out, it’s going to be difficult to see where the Treaty fits in.’’

Green Party coleader Marama Davidson said conversations about constitutional transformation here without the monarch, such as Matike Mai, were already taking place, particularly among Maori.

Maori Party coleader Rawiri Waititi said the party retained its policy to remove the monarch as the sovereign power and develop a constitution with the Treaty at the centre.

He said it would remove the Crown as sovereign, but not the obligations of the Treaty partner.

‘‘We need to just be mature enough to have those conversations as a nation.

‘‘It’s not just about the rights of Maori, but the rights of everybody.’’ —