Our process for a republic: our transformation into a republic

Under our process for New Zealand to become a republic, the country will transform itself into a republic if voters support it doing so in an indicative referendum and then in a binding referendum.  As I mentioned yesterday, this will be a joyous time for us here at the Movement, although we'll well aware that we're a long from it, yet.  Today, I'll describe briefly what we believe the transformation shall involve.

This is the sixth post in my series summarising the process we recommend for the country to become a republic.  This process was something we proposed in our draft policy statement, which I first introduced here.  The development of this document, a full version of which is available here, was agreed at our most recent AGM and I'm now summarising it for our readers' benefit.

The most critical part of our transformation will be the election, either by Parliament or by voters, of a new Head of State.  By this time, the group to do this will have been decided in the indicative referendum and affirmed in the binding referendum.  We propose that this election occurs as soon as practicable, after this latter referendum.

The person that's successful in the election will be sworn in and our new republic declared.  Although this ceremony will of course be primarily for the country to celebrate itself, we propose that the British monarch, or their representative, be invited to attend.

Indeed, it will be a day for New Zealanders to celebrate: for the first time in our history, we'll be independent officially and not just in practice.  For the first time, we'll be united as a country under our own Head of State and not divided into those who see themselves of British heritage and everybody else.  I have hope that it will be a day that captures the country's imagination more than any other in our history.  I look forward to seeing how this happens.