Monarchy debate

Thomas Coughlan (NZ Herald, September 15) thinks Parliament will be slow to debate whether New Zealand should move from a monarchy to a republic.

However, substantial debate occurred in 2010 around my private member’s Head of State Referenda Bill after it had been selected in the parliamentary ballot.

My bill provided for a two-stage referenda process. The first referendum had three options: the current monarchy, a head of state selected by 75 per cent of Parliament, and a directly elected head of state. The two leading options in the first referendum would run off in a second referendum. Under the two republican options, the head of state would have no more powers than those limited powers of the current monarchy.

In other words, the referenda process excluded an American-style executive presidency.

My bill had a First Reading debate in Parliament, but was voted down, with Labour, the Greens and United Future voting for it to go to a Select Committee, but National, Act, the M¯aori Party and the Progressive Party voting against.

Keith Locke, former Green MP, Mt Eden.