I’m speaking to you as a former royalist. That’s right, whilst down here in one of Her Majesty’s many Dominions, I’ve gone over to the over side. This blog has seen royalist v. republican rents before – normally crashed by the Tories ad their charming loyalist sentiments, with Comrade Guise leading the charge for the revolution. Ah… the memories.. But i’m coming at it with a kiwi slant. Oh yes.

Why? Well having been long torn on the Republic issue (emotionally drawn to royalty – but with no logical or rational justification for being so), republicanism down ‘ere seemed a different matter. What’s the big deal I figured – It’s not as if you’re the ones who have to pay for them – and you only have to see them every couple of years. Republicanism isn’t as big here in NZ as it has been in Australia. For a long time it has been kept off the political agenda by more pressing issues (as is always the case with any constitutional reform; see Lords, House of.).

But regardless of whether one believes in the institution of Monarchy, or in the hereditary principle at all, what swings it for myself is the idea that choosing ones own head of state is a fundamental part of nationhood. Her Majesty may be Queen of New Zealand, but she is not a New Zealander – nor is a monarch of the Windsor line ever likely to be so. SO I’m a New Zealand republican – whilst remaining undecided in the Motherland. For those prone to yelling “traitor” (I often do, it’s rather fun) here’s another fact to sway you: All immigrants to NZ, including those from the UK, are required to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen as part of becoming a citizen. As a natural-born UK citizen, I have never had to do anything remotely similar to this – not even a reasonable pledge of allegiance to the nation, or to the state, a la USA. It seems somewhat bizarre that were I to repatriate myself halfway across the globe I should have to swear allegiance to one institution I thought I’d left behind.

Despite any banterous and wholly good-natured put downs I may engage in, New Zealand is no longer a colony. It seems entirely appropriate for it to take the final step into full-fledged nationhood that  is choosing its own head of state. For an issue that would have left me confused and torn back home, here it seems simple as.

The website of New Zealand Republic can be found http://www.republic.org.nz/. There is also an obligatory Facebook

Comrade Nash, BULS member (in exile, NZ).