Queen of the South

Radical Royalist writes:

The New Zealanders must have pleased Her Majesty on Her 84th birthday. They have shown great loyalty to The Queen of New Zealand. Not only did the nation’s parliament throw out a bid to abolish the country’s Monarchy, but an opinion poll published hours before the vote showed support for a republic down from 47 per cent two years ago to just 37 per cent, with 51 per cent in favour of the monarchy, since Prince William's visit in January.

The Head of State Referenda Bill in the name of Green MP Keith Locke setting up a plebiscite on republicanism was defeated in Parliament at its first reading, 68 votes to 53.

Conversely, 32 per cent of respondents think New Zealand should cease to be a constitutional monarchy and become a republic.

Rahue Katene, an MP for the Maori Party, which voted against the bill, said it had the potential to make Maoris' relationship with the Crown obsolete.

Maoris chiefs ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria in 1840 by signing the Treaty of Waitangi with the Crown, which is widely regarded as the country's founding document.

The figures correspond with a similar opinion poll by Angus Reid. “Most people in New Zealand reject the idea of turning the country into a republic .... 53 per cent of respondents oppose this notion."