One of the common objections to a New Zealand citizen as our head of state is that people don’t want a former politician to have the role. The argument usually goes “We don’t want the Queen replaced by a President Winston Peters!” or whichever politician people don’t like.
Under New Zealand Republic’s policy statement, it’s extremely unlikely Winston Peters (or any other partisan politician) would be elevated to the position of head of state; first, it would be almost impossible for Winston to get over the three-quarters majority requirement. And if we choose to have a direct election, it’s almost as impossible.
What’s clear from the argument though is that the public are saying they don’t want to trade the British royal family for a politician. For our part, New Zealand Republic has always said the sort of people we want as our head of state are the sort of people we usually get as our Governor-General.
In many Commonwealth countries, the last Governor-General became the first independent head of state. In Malta, for example, the last Governor-General of Malta became the first President of Malta in 1974.
Anthony Mamo was the last Governor-General of Malta, and the first President of Malta. Malta’s head of state is appointed by their parliament, by a simple majority of votes.
Trinidad and Tobago is another Commonwealth member where the last Governor-General - Ellis Clarke - became the first independent head of state, in 1976. In Trinidad and Tobago both houses of its parliament vote to choose who the head of state is.
Section 25 of Trinidad and Tobago’s 1976 revision to its constitution states:
25. (1) The person holding the office of Governor-General of Trinidad and Tobago at the commencement of this Constitution shall hold the office of President under this Constitution until a President is elected under the provisions of this Chapter and assumes office
We could put such a provision in place for New Zealand. Right now that would mean making Dame Patsy Reedy our first independent head of state.
Ellis Clarke, last Governor-General of Trinidad and Tobago and first independent head of state