Last night former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons gave a fantastic opening address to the Labour Party Annual Conference. Usually the President gives the opening address, but this year we tried something a bit different. FitzSimons was incredibly funny but also raised some pretty big issues.
He praised New Zealand’s decision not to go to war with Iraq and repeatedly stressed how important an independent foreign policy should be to both our countries. Noting growing support on both sides of the ditch for our respective countries to become republics, he argued passionately in favour of a change of flag, recalling Seinfeld’s joke about the Aussie flag being “Great Britain at night” (not to mention the number of Kiwis and Aussies who can’t tell our flags apart…)
I’m a strong supporter of a New Zealand republic. I don’t think it’s something that we will gradually evolve towards, I think it’s something we should be actively discussing and working to achieve. But I don’t think it’s a decision for politicians to make. I think we need to lead the debate, but all New Zealanders should make the final decision by way of a referendum.
I strongly agree with FitzSimons’ observation that we shouldn’t link our debate about republicanism with the reign of the current monarch:
“As a sovereign nation we shouldn’t be deciding our politics on the health of an elderly English woman. She’s a good woman, no doubt about it. But we should be carving out our independent way.”
I was disappointed that Keith Locke’s private members bill was voted down. It would have given all New Zealanders a chance to have a say on whether or not NZ should become a republic. I also agree with our President Andrew Little who said “It’s a cop-out to say, ‘Yes, I’m a republican, but it’s not time’, that it be left up to somebody else…That’s a failure of leadership, in my view”.
