NEW ZEALAND

Following the death of The Queen, 50% of Kiwis polled said they wanted to stay with the monarchy – an increase of 3% since 2021. Some 27% supported the country becoming a republic.

Lewis Holden, campaign chairman of New Zealand Republic, reveals why he thinks it’s time to go it alone.

For most New Zealanders, the monarchy simply doesn’t fit with our values of egalitarianism, democracy and giving everyone a fair go.

They feel today’s monarchy is a celebrity institution with little to no relevance, a page-filler for women’s magazines at supermarket checkouts.

The institution is barely discussed outside celebrity gossip columns and has little to no importantly for New Zealand, influence outside of a declining there’s clearly no special band of true believers. advantage for our relationship

It’s an institution we with the UK or other inherited as a former British Commonwealth countries to colony, one that has having the monarch as the remained head of state. untouched as In fact, from a we have diplomatic evolved from perspective, we’re a colony into at a major a sovereign disadvantage; nation. Britain’s monarch

We have does not represent a governorgeneral New Zealand to the who is world, leaving us head of state in Prince William & New with a kind-of-sortof all but name. Zealand PM Chris Hipkins head of state in the There’s a misconception that governor-general.

New Zealand would have to The monarchy survives, leave Commonwealth nonetheless, but largely based when in fact the majority on fear of change. As the of Commonwealth misconceptions of what change members have their own means are overcome, the fear heads of state. More of change will decrease.

LADY IN RED Diana in scarlet gown at film premiere SILK Wearing draped skirt at gala dinner in Canada in 1991 Only 19% of Canadians want the country to remain a monarchy – down 12 points since a similar poll in September last year. Tom Freda, director of Citizens for a Canadian Republic, explains why many feel it is time for change. POPULATION 25,921,089 POPULATION 38,155,012 POPULATION 5,129,727 TIES