Press release: the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand

Monarchy out of step with Commonwealth

Embargoed until 1am 12th March 2007

Commonwealth Day, 12th March, should be a time to question New Zealand's monarchy in light of our membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Republican Movement believes that our monarchy is now out of step with the Commonwealth.

Once called the British Commonwealth, the grouping was renamed the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949 as part of "The London Declaration". Today, 53 nations in the Commonwealth are republics. In 16 countries, the Commonwealth Realms, the Queen remains head of state.

Lewis Holden, president of the Republican Movement said, "The values of the Commonwealth - such as democracy and political equality - are clear from the London Declaration, yet our head of state doesn't reflect those values. Secretary-General Don McKinnon has also recently reiterated the importance of gender equality, for example, something the succession of our head of state is at odds with - the rules of succession are patriarchal and deliberately exclusionary"

"If the Queen dies or abdicates, Charles will become King simply because he's the first born male, something we believe most New Zealanders would never accept in their own families, let alone for selecting our head of state"

"The Monarchy is an undemocratic institution and its role within the Commonwealth is a contradiction. Whether the Sovereign remains the Head of the Commonwealth is something all of the countries of the Commonwealth will have to decide".

ENDS

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