A chart of the structure of New Zealand’s government emphasising the centrality of parliament in our democracy. Political power derives from the consent of the governed. That is a fundamental republican principle, and (despite imperfections) the way New Zealand’s system of government generally works. Yet that’s not how things look from the outside.
At the top of the pile is “The Sovereign.” That role, based on the chart’s arrow, is to appoint the Governor-General. The chart is an accurate representation from the standpoint that the Sovereign’s role is very limited, and that under monarchy, power flows from the top down.
Right at the bottom of the chart are the voters, you and me. This is where the government actually gets its right to govern from, the consent of the governed. Some might say that it’s “Her Majesty’s Government” and legally, they’re correct. But the truth is no government can or should be installed by an unelected Sovereign, and thanks to hundreds of years of constitutional evolution, the most likely won’t.
With a New Zealand head of state, that truth would be emphasised, not just politically but also legally and symbolically. Imagine the chart without “The Sovereign” at the top but instead “voters” electing parliament, and a head of state initially appointed by that parliament. There’s a clear benefit in emphasising the reality of how our government actually works.
