Let's give honours a Kiwi accent - replace 'Sir' and 'Dame' with 'Onya'

"Its time for all of our honours to have a real Kiwi accent," said Dave Guerin, president of the Republican Movement.

"We say 'good on ya' when someone does a good job, so let's make that an honour (or an 'onya') all of our own," Mr Guerin joked. "Instead of Sir Peter Blake, we could have Onya Peter Blake.'

"Of course 'Onya' isn't the right honour, but we need one that recognises special New Zealanders. Knighthoods and damehoods just don't fit with New Zealand society any more so let's put our thinking caps on for a new honour. That's what the Government should now be consulting upon."

"It's the same argument that Aucklanders are having over the pictures in the Council Chamber and that we promote through the Republican Movement. Old colonial honours and political structures don't fit us any more and we need to change. Today it's the honours system and next month at the Building the Constitution conference** it'll be the republic."

ENDS

** The Building the Constitution conference in Wellington on April 7-8 will discuss a whole range of constitutional issues, including republicanism.

Republican Movement PO Box 24-194 Wellington 04 801 8199 (tel/fax) www.republic.org.nz

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