Succession changes should be part of constitutional review
MEDIA RELEASE 29 October 2011

The Republican Movement calls on the government to include changes to the monarchy's succession rules in the constitutional review. New Zealanders have the right to decide the rules that determine who our head of state is.

"The proposed changes anounced at CHOGM is irrelevant to every day New Zealanders, just like the monarchy itself. The changes, to remove the sexist rules from the succession, only remind us how long the monarchy has discriminated against women and Catholics," said Savage, vice-chair of the Republican Movement.

"These aren't just out of date rules about which Windsor will assume the British throne. They're a statement about our constitution and about who is and who isn't allowed to be New Zealand's head of state."

An agreement, signed yesterday during the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM), calls on the 16 "realm" countries to remove the ban on older females succeeding to the throne ahead of male heirs, and to allow the monarch to marry a Catholic. The rule against our head of state from being a Catholic remains, because the British monarch is head of the Church of England.
"These rules still mean that if you're a New Zealander - Pakeha, Maori, Pacific or Asian, you are not as good as the British royal family and can't be head of state of New Zealand" concluded Savage.
NOTES
• Joint media release from Prime Ministers David Cameron and Julia Gillard: http://www.chogm2011.org/Resources/Latest_News/speech-pm-united-kingdom-david-cameron-pm-australia-julia-gillard-joint-press
• First draft agreement between the realms: http://www.chogm2011.org/Resources/Latest_News/first-draft-agreement-principle-among-realms
ENDS

The Republican Movement is a network of New Zealanders who want our head of state to be elected by New Zealanders - either directly or indirectly.
We are committed to:
• involving all New Zealanders in the republic debate;
• providing relevant and reliable information;
• focusing on ideas, not personalities;
• winning a referendum to establish the republic;
Creating a republic does not require any change to the Treaty of Waitangi, flag or Commonwealth membership. For more information, see our website: www.republic.org.nz

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