Why it is our choice whether New Zealand becomes a republic or not
Nothing in life is inevitable, except, or so it is said, death and taxes. Whilst I wouldn't necessarily agree with the latter, I would certainly deny that a New Zealand republic is inevitable. Ten years ago Jim Bolger stirred up a hornets' nest with his assertion that New Zealand should become a republic by the end of the century, because "the tide of history is moving in one direction". such claims of predestination are almost Marxist in their inflexibility - for it is for New Zealanders to decide, not our political elite.
Even Dave Guerin, of the Republican Movement, has said that a republic is not inevitable. A case has to be made for one - something which has yet to be done. The nearest I have yet seen are of the calibre of the recent comments by Michael Laws, which were a rude and offensive personal attack upon The Queen. Surely republicans can do better than resort to that sort of "argument", which does nothing for their cause except annoy the decent majority of people. They appreciate what The Queen has done over the past fifty years, whatever they feel about the ultimate future of the system of constitutional monarchy in this country.