MEDIA RELEASE: New Zealand Republic launches petition to #ChangeTheOath
New Zealand Republic has launched a petition to the parliament of New Zealand, asking that the legislature amends the oath of allegiance to replace references to the monarch with the people of Aotearoa and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
"Recent comments by MP-elect Ricardo Menendez have highlighted the absurd nature of the oath of allegiance our MPs must take before they can take their seats in our House of Representatives. MPs must swear an oath to the head of state, who has nothing to do with their being elected to parliament and does not pay for them to be there. It’s the citizens of this country that elect MPs to represent us, and it’s thanks to the Treaty that that happens, our oath of allegiance should reflect that" said Lewis Holden, Campaign Chair of New Zealand Republic.
“The strength of our democracy is thanks to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, bringing the people of our country together. Whether we're a republic or not, it's inappropriate for our MPs, who are elected by the people to represent all of us, to swear allegiance to the head of state. It’s time to change the oath to reflect contemporary Aotearoa" concluded Mr Holden
The petition can be found here: http://chng.it/rJ4MjmHm
ENDS
Media contact: Lewis Holden, phone: 09 889 8426