The politics of the Royal Tour
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- Date published:
7:04 am, April 8th, 2014 - 85 comments
Categories: john key, national, same old national -
Tags: royal tour
Don’t get me wrong.
I am a proud republican. This position is based on a number of beliefs, that we are all born equal and should be treated equally, that historically the English Monarchy has much to be ashamed of, that the sort of wealth the modern Royal Family has is obscene, and that skill, talent, community commitment and contribution should be celebrated, not social order.
But I can’t help but feel sorry for William and Kate and George and I can’t help but thinking that John Key is politicising the royal tour in election year in a way that Liz and her whanau may be privately upset with.
The basic problem is Key’s habit of trying to be all things to all people. And when you think about his various pronouncements on the Monarchy and on constitutional issues you can see a pattern where he says different things to different audiences.
It seems that the tour was in an advanced stage of planning in November of last year. At the time Key could not say whether a visit would take place, or who might be coming, but that it did not matter that it was an election year. Obviously he knew something was planned.
Then in January of this year a few days after David Cunliffe’s state of the Nation address Key announced the flag debate. The concept is something most progressives would agree with. The presence of the Union Jack in the top left hand corner of our flag is a historical oddity that annoys many of us. We are an independent proud nation with a history and a world view that is distance. We are firmly placed in the middle of Pacifica. To be reminded of an apparent ongoing allegiance to a nation on the opposite side of the world is frankly weird.
Mirroring Helen Clark’s views Key is on record saying that New Zealand becoming a republic is inevitable but he seems to change his position regularly. Back in 2008 for instance he said that he was “not convinced it [a republic] will be a big issue in the short term“. In 2010 he said he loved the Royal Family. In 2012 he said that NZ becoming a republic was off the agenda. Last year he said this:
“I don’t think New Zealand should rush to become a republic. It may happen one day, but I can’t for the life of me see the benefits of it other than you get to spend a lot of money electing heads of state as opposed to the government appointing one.”
Then on Morning Report yesterday morning Key performed the sort of logical acrobatics that has to be witnessed to be believed. He said that he had stated that New Zealand becoming a republic was inevitable and that in all probability that was right but there would be a long time scale. Which is it? Is it inevitable or will it happen in all probability? Gee the guy is loose with his language.
Yesterday afternoon Key said that the Royals tour had weakened the Republican cause. From Radio NZ:
However, Prime Minister John Key has predicted that the Queen and members of her family will remain New Zealand’s head of state for years to come.
Mr Key acknowledged on New Zealand’s Morning Report programme he’d once predicted a move by New Zealand to a republic sooner rather than later. But he said on Monday public polling in the past had revealed robust support in this country for the royals and he believed that sentiment has strengthened.
“If you go back about … six or seven, eight years ago – maybe a decade – and asked the question whether New Zealanders want to become a republic then I think the numbers would have been sixty-forty opposed. If you asked that question today I think it would be eight-twenty opposed.”
It is hard to imagine why a visit by a couple of pleasant looking people and their cute baby should put back the cause of Republicanism.
And as Chris Trotter has noted Key should have talked to David Farrar first. Curiablog has conducted a recent poll that suggests that support for a local head of state is at 44%. Key’s political antenna are way off.
To cement the feel of politicisation of the tour yesterday afternoon Key has promised to raise the proposed change of flag in discussions with William.
National is heading into some really unchartered waters. Former head of the Republican Movement Lewis Holden is National’s candidate for the Rimutaka seat. He will not beat Chris Hipkins but it will be interesting to see if and where he is placed on the list. And if he does make it to Parliament he will be alongside National MP and former Monarchy New Zealand spokesperson Simon O’Connor.
It is disturbing that it appears the New Zealand Republican Movement Website has removed content describing Key’s many and varying views on New Zealand becoming a republic. An explanation is warranted.
National and Key clearly have a strategy of trying to be all things to all people. They just hope that the electorate does not notice that they are being duplicitous in the extreme.
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- Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass GravesTe Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac DayOur two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...2 weeks ago
- Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summonsTonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery fundingIt appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...2 weeks ago
- Further environmental mismanagement on the cardsThe Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environmentThe Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management systemLabour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise PalestineThe Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kindThe Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...2 weeks ago
- Three strikes has failed before and will fail againResurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freezeCuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...3 weeks ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extendedThe Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Progress on climate will be undone by GovtNew Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...3 weeks ago
- Report provides insights into marine recovery
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...1 hour ago - NZ to send political delegation to the PacificDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...2 hours ago
- Low gas production threatens energy securityThere has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...7 hours ago
- Defence industry talent, commitment recognisedDefence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...15 hours ago
- Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for IndustryWelcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...16 hours ago
- Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data SummitIt is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...17 hours ago
- Ceasefire agreement needed now: PetersNew Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...22 hours ago
- Daily school attendance data now availableA new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...23 hours ago
- Ambassador to United States appointedForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...1 day ago
- New permit proposed for recreational gold miningThe Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...1 day ago
- NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiationsMinister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...1 day ago
- New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to signNew Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...2 days ago
- Next stop NASA for New Zealand studentsSix tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...2 days ago
- $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crimeNew Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...2 days ago
- OECD reinforces need to control spendingThe OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...2 days ago
- Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for AucklandThe Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...3 days ago
- Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with GermanyForeign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...4 days ago
- Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of PlentyThe Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...5 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand China CouncilThank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...5 days ago
- Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi householdsThe Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...6 days ago
- Government recommits to equal payThe coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...6 days ago
- Transforming how our children learn to readStructured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...6 days ago
- NZ not backing down in Canada dairy disputeTrade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...6 days ago
- Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable childrenThe rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...6 days ago
- Streamlining Building Consent ChangesThe Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...6 days ago
- Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...7 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...7 days ago
- Accelerating airport security linesFrom today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...7 days ago
- Community hui to talk about kina barrensPeople with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...1 week ago
- Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into forceKiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...1 week ago
- Mining resurgence a welcome signThere are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...1 week ago
- Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first readingThe return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...1 week ago
- Government to boost public EV charging networkEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...1 week ago
- Residential Property Managers Bill to not progressThe coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...1 week ago
- Independent review into disability support servicesThe Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...1 week ago
- Justice Minister updates UN on law & order planJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...1 week ago
- Ending emergency housing motels in RotoruaThe Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...1 week ago
- Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and DubaiTrade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...1 week ago
- Education priorities focused on lifting achievementEducation Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...1 week ago
- NZTA App first step towards digital driver licenceThe new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...1 week ago
- Government quiet on costs, building plan for Waikato prison expansion
The extra beds would take longer than the four-years covered in this week's budget announcement to deliver, the Corrections Minister told RNZ. ...36 mins ago - Chief Electoral Officer Needs To Fall On His Sword
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...52 mins ago - Government considers removing election day voter enrolmentJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith says very few countries allow it, and New Zealand should consider changing the rules. ...2 hours ago
- Beehive Need To Lead By ExampleThe Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...2 hours ago
- The Spinoff Power List: 50 New Zealanders you need to know
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...3 hours ago - First Nations imprisonment is already at a record high. Unless government policy changes, it will on...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock This article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...3 hours ago - Martha isn’t Baby Reindeer’s biggest villain. So why is she painted as such?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...3 hours ago
- Yes, adults can develop food allergies. Here are 4 types you need to know aboutSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...3 hours ago
- An outsider on the inside: how Ans Westra created New Zealand’s ‘national photo album’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...4 hours ago
- How the lessons from Covid-19 could help us prepare for bird fluStewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...5 hours ago
- As climate change amplifies urban flooding, here’s how communities can become ‘sponge cities’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary. Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...5 hours ago
- Genesis Energy to fire up coal imports, citing increased demand, dwindling gas supplyGenesis Energy is to resume importing coal, as reduced gas supplies and increased demand add to the problems of keeping the lights on. ...5 hours ago
- The Boy in the Water: ‘Someone was struggling at a fence’
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...5 hours ago - Te Pāti Māori comments: 'That kind of language isn't helpful'Political parties have roundly criticised Te Pāti Māori for using words like 'extermination' and 'white supremacy' in the House. ...6 hours ago
- Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey sought advice on ‘social impact bonds’ to fund servicesMinisters have sought advice on 'social impact bonds', which offer a potential return on private investment in public services. ...6 hours ago
- Managed retreat: How do we get out of the way of climate change?"Ad hoc" house buyouts after major disasters cannot continue, the Climate Change Minister says. ...6 hours ago
- Rules for property managers are scrapped. But what’s the worst that could happen?Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...7 hours ago
- Explainer: What’s the deal with Auckland’s new water deal?Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...7 hours ago
- ‘We didn’t behave very well in NZ’, says Wakefield heirI knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...7 hours ago
- Govt risks another Havelock North by undoing water protectionsOpinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...7 hours ago
- Where to next for the Aukus ruckus?Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 8 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 8 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projectsOpinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- A controversial driving exam – put to the testWhat do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...7 hours ago
- A long road back to a very long jumpWellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...7 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 8 MayThe post Daily crossword, Wednesday 8 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus resetAfter replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- Coutts’ call prompts urgent board meeting over SailGPDespite Sir Russell Coutts vowing SailGP wouldn’t return to Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour, negotiations over 2025 are ongoing The post Coutts’ call prompts urgent board meeting over SailGP appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- Meet the man behind the Government’s education policyThe parallels between the Government’s education policy and those put forward by researcher Michael Johnston, is raising questions The post Meet the man behind the Government’s education policy appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 hours ago
- From Gallipoli to Gaza: remembering the Anzacs not as a ‘coming of age’ tale but as a lesson for...ANALYSIS: By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...9 hours ago
- NZ local council calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza as strikes hitBy Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...10 hours ago
- End this ‘cruel, barbaric use of force’ on Gaza – WILPF plea to NZAsia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...10 hours ago
- Albanese government to invest $566 million for ‘generational’ mapping to promote resource explor...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...11 hours ago
- Prison spending: Waikeria to have capacity for nearly 2000 bedsThe government has clarified just how many beds the Waikato prison will get after a series of maths gaffes - 455, 600, 810 or 1865? ...13 hours ago
- ‘Repair colonial violence’ and support Gaza ceasefire, say Otago academicsAsia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...14 hours ago
- Expelling students for bad behaviour seems like the obvious solution, but is it really a good idea?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...15 hours ago
- Green MP Julie Anne Genter responds after behaviour in the House, florist's accusations"I can do better," she says, acknowledging the need to work on her de-escalation strategy. ...15 hours ago
- If the RBA’s right, interest rates may not fall for another year. Here’s why – and what it mea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...16 hours ago
- ‘Eye watering’ spending, growing debt make up surprisingly generous Victorian state budgetSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...16 hours ago
- Budgeting service cuts: 'It's like watching a train derail'With some services facing closure after missing out on the latest government funding, there are for some of NZ's most vulnerable. ...16 hours ago
- Coalition demands amendments to government’s deportation bill, as crucial High Court judgement set...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...16 hours ago
- MP's comments 'bang on' despite negative response from other parties – Te Pāti...Te Pāti Māori is standing by comments made by MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi which other parties have called inflammatory and offensive. ...19 hours ago
- A story of trauma, hope and regaining control, Nayika: A Dancing Girl is soul-stirring dance theatreSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...19 hours ago
- 'Pretty dire' situation for patients as junior doctors strike over pay cutsDisruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...20 hours ago
- How does the drug abemaciclib treat breast cancer?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...20 hours ago
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If Key says it’s 80%, he has every reason to think the people will accept that. He doesn’t get challenged on such pronouncements.
Did key make his money in currency trading by being all things to all people? Not on the shop floor I don’t think, but once he was in management? He speaks with forked tongue.
When he sacked people he probably told them if it was up to him they would stay, but he has orders from above.
Interestingly his “dinner” with Campbell (and I only saw a snippet on the news ) seemed to be at a much smaller place than the mansion. I am sure that is no coincidence.
He doesn’t stand for anything other than money. If he has principles he keeps them quiet.
That is what we have seen under Key. A principle free stance on everything, except asset sales. The principle of privatisation has been unambiguous throughout his reign.
Sir Keith Holyoake once described nash’s policy address in Invercargill as
“A Guy Fawkes night bonfire of political principles”
John Key promised transparency and honesty in 2008 while railing against Clark for Winston’s stoush with Glen. he proimmised higher standards than those he claimed labour were displaying… instead what we have witnessed is a Guy Fawkes bonfire of personal and political principles.”
Sadly, other than privatising everything he could and still remain PM, he has no other principles than the key guiding principle of doing whatever is in his self interest. He has used the leadership of this country to create a celebrity circuit for him to travel on…
+100
Has any of the MSM actually pulled him up on that yet?
That Key thinks he needs to get William’s permission is confirmation he is far from a Republican, he probably has delusions that he is a close friend of the royal family.
Queenie looks like she cant stand him…she is no fool…..and if there was money and a knighthood in being a Republican, Key would be a Republican
What makes you say the Queen looks like that?
She invited him and his family for a weekend at their bach!
well just judging from the photos in the newspapers where she wasnt smiling and in fact was looking down from the camera…neither of them looked like they were having much fun over a cup of tea…personally i am not a royal watcher but i do have a friend who is…and he knows quite a lot about royal protocol and snubs …much to both our amusement
Dont get me wrong but I am a complete monarchist. I dont give a stuff what family of nincompoops is installed in bucking ham palace just as long as someone is. Our whole history is the story of the tension between the king and the commons. We have the rule of law and our version of democracy not because we theorised it into existence but because it arose organically in the fullness of time. I am not offended by the supposed privileges the royal family garners because we have to pay for someone to be the ostensible leader and it may as well be them. If shifty was king then things would be different. We could cut off his head. At the moment he is just basking in reflected glory because he is a fame pig, snob, social climber and wannabee but his tenure is getting shakier and shakier.
But do we need someone chosen because they belong to a particular blood line at the opposite end of the world? What about a local version, preferably one who is elected?
The interesting thing is going to be how long the monarchy survives because New Zealand can’t decide exactly what to replace it with (like Australia). Will people vote against an appointed Head of State (which seems to be the option talked about most in the media) in hope that further down the line a referendum for an elected Head of State (which seems to be the option talked about most by the public) will come around?
Or will there actually be a sensible referendum offering both options and then pitting the more popular against the monarchy.
…was Amelda Macos elected?….seriously figure heads made from elected officials could be worse
….at least the royal family know their place and how to behave themselves …ie dont interfere in political democracy or appear too ostentatious and removed from the people…or you will get your head chopped off ( French royalty)….or face the firing squad( Russian cousin royalty)
Don’t count on it.
I wouldn’t know about “Amelda” Marcos, whoever she might be, but Imelda actually was elected. As Wikipedia says.
“Her return to the Philippines has since allowed her to restore her political dynasty and she was elected in the House of Representatives in 1995 for Leyte and again in 2010 for Ilocos Norte”.
It’s irrelevant of course because she wasn’t, at any time, the Head of State in the Philippines.
The real problem with changing to a New Zealand HOS is determining who it will be and how they will be selected. Politicians, of all stripes want them to be selected by the Government, or Parliament, in much the way the GG is. The public, as far as I can see, want to be able to elect the HOS. For the politicians this is a problem as they will have someone elected who can rightly claim that they have a mandate to override Parliament. They would be, after all, the only person in the country who was chosen by the whole populace and can claim an authority that exceeds that of the PM. They might not attempt to do it but politicians are afraid of things that “could” happen if it interferes with their desires.
Meh, I think I would rather have Liz or Charlie in charge the John Key
The Head of State isn’t in charge. They’re actually there to represent NZ in inter-state affairs but not to make policy.
Hell for what its worth we might as well select our Head of State on the Saturday night of the General election by way of Lotto draw,
Pay ya ten bucks and get a ticket to go in the draw to be Governor General for 3 years, who could resist,
All profits from the draw to go to a charity selected by the incumbent the week befor their term expires…
Well, It’s how Ancient Greeks did it.
ahhh….imagine…sword in hand, bowed heads before you awaiting their reward…the temptation. Arise Sir…..
Agree EisE
I can’t say that presidents and heads of states (elected or otherwise) have covered themselves with glory down the ages. Quite the opposite. In fact God help us if we ‘elect’ such a person. Does anyone trust NZers in their present apparent state of mind to elect a suitable person? I don’t.
At this point in time and until the masses come to their collective senses lets stick with the status quo.
occasionally we might elect a Mandela, or a Gandhi.
Can’t think of any monarchs who would get that level of awesomeness.
Mandalas and Gandhis are not usually establishment people in fact quite the contrary…they rise to greatness through opposition….so i dont think this is very likely
rare. But more common than monarchs who renew my faith in humanity
citation please and some statistics
Politicians with popular support who have given me some faith in humanity:
Mandela
Gandhi
Wilberforce
Monarchs who have given me some faith in humanity:
[empty set]
Unfortunately the Mandalas and Gandhis are probably less common throughout history than the Hitlers, Napoleons and other assorted despots.
In terms of monarchs these have been a very mixed bag historically but in recent times they have been IMO a better than passable bunch with a few standouts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_I_of_Spain
… and I must admit I always had a soft spot for the current Queen’s mother.
Oh, they’re not all arseholes. No Mandelas, though – although the Dalai Lama might come close, from a certain perspective.
the less power they wield the more likeable they have become
I disagree with you, MS.
New Zealand has very complicated, and to a certain extent unresolved sovereignty issues. There is very little overlap between the assumptions that many Maori make about sovereignty and those of most Pakeha.
You’re wrong when you say we’re getting ‘someone chosen because they belong to a particular blood line at the opposite end of the world’.
The whole point is that we don’t choose them, and they don’t choose it either ( although they can opt out through abdication). But that same framework of highly ritualised formalisation of an inherited monarchy also underpins the inter-generational continuity of the Crown’s commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi.
You don’t need to look far from Aotearoa to see that a ‘local version, . . . one who is elected’ might have a different agenda, certainly one with a much shorter time horizon.
We get what we’re given and within a framework of highly ritualised formalisation, we make the best of it.
True Huginn that the treaty is the issue that will require the most attention in moving to a republic. But I would prefer for head of state to be elected rather than ordained.
As opposed to some All Black or shudder President Key?
Elected? like John Key you mean?
Lets face it, more elections, and the phenomenal amount of money wasted on campaigns do not enhance democracy. We need a balance for the power we give government, and I don’t see republics or dictatorships doing any better by their people, in reality.
+100 captain hook….although I have to say every time i hear about the Royals visit on the radio i turn it off….i cant stand John Keys name mentioned in conjunction…or British commentators fawning …or the MSM fawning ….or even Mary Wilson reporting on it smartly….so something must be fermenting in my subconscious
……that said i have nothing against the young couple …and they do a hard job being diplomatic all the time
….if we didnt have them it would be some other figurehead(s) ….and probably worse ones…like multi billionaires who have made their money by ripping people off…..and their servile wives flaunting their fashion and jewellery and ‘style’……or Amelda Marcos’s shoes, which would be way worse
”A hard job” Chooky???, you are of course joking are you not…
…i cant see you being diplomatic enough for the job…ha ha…….nor me either for that matter ….it would be a fucking horrible job….can you see yourself sharing a sausage and a beer and being polite to John Key?!…when you felt like spitting or gagging or being slimey…
Sure i could, IF i were born into a share of a fortune worth billions of dollars and had been shown my whole life that i was ‘above’ everyone else on the planet based upon a line of interbreeding which ludicrously started at the first German Hanoverian King of England being 51st in the line of succession based upon religious selection,
Hell that would in such circumstances be no more difficult than me having a chat with the check-out operator down at the local supermarket,
You can bet that once out of ear and eye shot these pair of ‘nobody reallies’ take great joy in making disparaging remarks about how stupid the fawning few must be to spend hours standing in the rain just to glimpse them as they flash by in the Beamer’s,(can you imagine the laughter the six oclock news must provoke them too especially viewing the siblings arguing whether or not they ‘got waved at’ or ‘eye contact was made’),
It almost borders on child abuse to have whole classrooms of New Zealand school kids stood in the pouring fucking rain for hours waiting for these fucking sponges to whizz by firmly ensconced in the leather of the heated limo’s in what looked like a picture of the idiots guide to ‘rent-a-crowd’,
How many of those kids will now be off school for a week with the flu simply because we have these wastes of space here to slurp at the trough for 10 days of freebies…
+100 bad12.
prefer Queenie to the Pope any day!
@ bad12 kids love getting out of the classroom to watch any old thing.. … and a week off with the flu would be a bonus
you really think that having all that money is fantastic?…most of it belongs to Britain anyway …you cant take it with you to the grave…and do you really think living in a draughty old castle would be much fun?!…..together with all the servants watching your every move and some contemplating books about you or tittle tattling to the squalid British tabloids?
…much more fun to cavort around in your state house and have a barbe out the back with no paparazzi watching over the fence
….mind you I do like Queenie’s broaches ….dont go much for the tiaras or the sequined satins or the flowery hats …but do like her broaches and pearls and diamonds …hate her shoes…dont like posies, corgis or horses much …and the hunts would be awful
I recall in 1963, during the Queen’s visit her motorcade was planned to travel past our school. Several times in the days before, we were taken out onto the street – the whole school – to practice waving at the Queen. Of course it was a great break from classes, and I participated unquestioningly.
The big day came and I was in my best cheering mode as the Queen’s car drove past. She, in the car waving like a robot, turned to look directly at me. I stopped in mid cheer. Suddenly she was a flesh and blood woman – one I didn’t really know and I couldn’t figure out why i should be cheering her. Started me thinking, and pretty soon afterwards I became a republican.
Why did they need to school us into unthinking “cheering” and appropriate behaviour for the queen? All is propaganda. What a farce.
cant remember the Queen coming…but lots of things that adults do are a farce to kids
…and is it any worse than millions of adults and especially women worshipping the Pope?….and sitting for hours in a church and watching that “little man up there telling us what to do”….as my sister put it…..and watching while they all go up front like a line of sheep to kneel down to drink blood/wine and get patted on the head?
And it still seems a farce to me today.
I don’t see it as either the Brit monarchy or Pope worship. I’m not into either.
Chooky, wall papering over cracks with bits of bog roll never hides them for long, so its perfectly fine in your world to have kids standing out in the pouring rain is it, i am sure if any of them, kids that is, were left out in the rain around here for any length of time their parents would suffer an exhaustive probing form both the Plods and CYFPs,
The photo’s i have seen of the kids dragged outta their classrooms to stand in the rain yesterday didn’t show smiling kids enjoying a morning away from school, most of them simply looked cold and under-dressed for such weather,
Right, while kids might enjoy a week off from their schooling it leaves them with a gap in their education where something crucial to their ongoing education might have been taught,along with that as most people with kids round here are families where both parents work exactly who is going to suffer the loss if one parent is off work to look after the sick kid, certainly not the Woyal bludgers that’s for sure,
As far as i am concerned i am happy with my state House and the descendants of some minor German (51st in line)aristocrat who inherited the English throne on the basis that the fifty ahead of him in the line were Roman Catholic should have stayed home in theirs which has just had 2 million pound spent upon a ‘living quarters’ to suit their tastes rather than come here parading as the Royal Sponger’s,
Thankfully the 3 of them last night got whisked away from Government House to hide out in a ‘private residence’, the less i see of these bludgers on my TV the better…
i would probably agree with you but i dont watch tv…it is bad for the health
…i remember waiting for hours to watch the Queen of Thailand in my Brownie uniform and resenting waiting all bloody day on a weekend…but if it had been on a school day i think i would have relished it
Your last sentence is right on the money Captain Hook
A while back I had a quick glance at the schedule.
Now from memory tours have usually been full of public/quasi public events that are worthy, a bit staid and have maximum exposure to the general population, opening things, planting trees inspecting projects (like conservation efforts etc). but at least an attempt to interact widely across the community.
This one looks more like an upmarket holiday sailing, visits to private estates etc.
The welcome was on government house grounds which I assume wasn’t open to the general public. Most of it looks like is taking place out of sight of the general public, apart from the car arrival and departures, so that it shows up as a series of photo ops with JK’s face in most of them. Is JK frightened of what people will say if he actually appears in public? Frightened he loses control of the publicity?
on rnz yesterday morning they were talking to their ‘man on the ground’ at govt house waiting for the couple & they asked him how many ppl were there waiting, & he said something like ‘heaps, a lot of media’, & rnz asked ‘how many of the public are there?’ & the guy said ‘well, theres only media here’. yep, its like a peter cook sketch.
While I am agnostic about republicanism overall, I think this would be a terrible time in history to become a republic – we are close enough to a corporate tyranny as it is. At least the royals personify a competing authority, however weak, to the dominant corporate model.
Thank you Lionel.
That is the whole crux of the matter.
shifty is just using the royals to put himself above the common herd because he cant handle his own obscure origins and because all tories are puffed up pieces of crap anyway.
It’s just more photo ops, of course. Anything to be seen, anything for the limelight.
That is always his motivation.
He is not there to better NZ, and never was.
We the taxpayers have funded this family to visit our shores…. meanwhile we vilify those from here whom through whatever circumstance find themselves travelling whilst supported by the taxpayer dollar – wonder what Paula thinks of the royal bludgers
Couldn’t care less about the Royals and the news cycle will make this a very very long ten days for those not concerned about dresses, shoes and what a baby (key) is thinking…
Maori guy on talkback yesterday..think he was talking to Willie, said the’ve got a cheek coming here after their ancestors murdered so many of my people.
Maori guy on talk-back yesterday..think he was talking to Willie said,
“they’ve got a cheek coming here expecting us to welcome them after their ancestors murdered so many of my people. If I see them I’m going to do a Mihaka haka.”
In other contradictory Republicanisms, Key announced to NZ the birth of the royal baby by saying “KNEEL BEFORE YOUR FUTURE KING, PEASANTS*”.
*or something like that.
never forget, Key considers one of NZ’s greatest living NZers is Prince Phillip… THAT’s how much a desire Key has to remove the Queen as our Head of State.
“A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Prince Philip was born in Greece into the Greek and Danish royal families, but his family was exiled from Greece when he was a baby. After being educated in France, England, Germany, and Scotland, he joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, at the age of 18. From July 1939, he began corresponding with the 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth (his third cousin through Queen Victoria and the elder daughter and heiress presumptive of King George VI) whom he had first met in 1934. During World War II he served with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets…
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (Danish: Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Lyksborg, also spelled -Glücksborg), also known as the House of Glücksburg, is a German ducal house.
Junior branches of the House include the royal houses of Denmark, Norway, and Greece. The Prince of Wales, who is the heir apparent to the thrones of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms,[1][2] belongs officially to the House of Windsor,[3] but also belongs to a cadet branch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
The House is named after Glücksburg in northernmost Germany. It is itself a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg, that is descended from Count Christian of Oldenburg, who became King of Denmark in 1448 and King of Norway in 1450. As the original House of Oldenburg and the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg became extinct in 1863 and 1931, respectively, the House of Glücksburg is now the senior surviving branch of the House of Oldenburg.
The House descends patrilineally from the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck. The last of them became Duke of Glücksburg and changed his title accordingly to Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. He was married to Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel, a granddaughter of King Frederick V of Denmark.
Neither the Dukes of Beck nor of Glücksburg were sovereign rulers; they held their lands in fief to the sovereign Dukes of Schleswig and Holstein, i.e. the Kings of Denmark and, before 1773, the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp.”
“Key considers one of NZ’s greatest living NZers is Prince Phillip”
wtf?
In reality the Royals are Head of our State because we allow them to. It is back door democracy in that Parliament could replace them with whatever kind of system it chooses at any time.
We know that and they know that. That is why it is inevitable that at some stage they will be replaced.
If Liz, Charlie or any other foreigner pisses New Zealand off to any kind of degree we will simply say thanks for the good times, but you are no longer our head of state.
So the argument that they are unelected is technically true, they still serve at the discretion of the New Zealand electorate.
Be careful what you wish for. After 4 terms as PM which he said last night that he wanted and would serve we could easily have President Sir John Key.
Hows life over there in fisitania? Managed to make water run uphill yet?
I think Helen has pretty high odds of being the first president. Will have to be after her upcoming appointment as United Nations Secretary General, though.
Time-wise that sounds about right. 😉
If she wants it. The Head of State of NZ, I mean, maybe when she has retired from proper work?
shifty key made his money selling dead cows. i.e. selling off junk bonds from the firms inventory. wadda guy. He wont make four terms let alone three. the pace is starting to tell and if he has any brains at all he will be thank full for the turn he has had. all change please.
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
When John Key visited the Firm’s batch they discussed how John Key was going to convince the other states of the common wealth to accept Queenie and the Firm for ever and ever as their rightful heads of states.
John Key made sure we donated $ 30 million to Rio Tinto to which she holds the majority of shares. She may not like him but he is a good little footsoldier selling the sheeple here the royal Firm.
No need to feel sorry for them. They know when they need to show up to promote a one of their own sleazebag servants to keep getting what they want: More for them and less for us!
Key is acting like Baldrick the groveling serf Its Sickening
I feel that the royal family are completely irrelevant and should and will go but also worry that any move to get rid off them and become a republic will become a, … how do I say this, quick decision without being throughly thought out. Lets face it the fact that the Queen of England is our “head of state” is a joke but our political system actually works well. I worry a quick change could be potentially politically gerrymandered by the political power of the day. Wow I really can’t write but I’m sure you get my drift.
I think cross party agreement should occur with a date named, say 10 years, in the future, that we will become a republic and that a timeline of public consultation and education happen in that period to be end in a referendum on different scenarios.
Lets face it we may end up with some McFlag because Key suddenly wants a political distraction. That’s bearable but a crap political system would be horrible. Look at the Supercity where a mayor can’t be removed? Not that he should on current evidence but imagine if he was Rob Fordish.
That’s the big worry. That we won’t have a discussion about it or, more likely, that it will be a backroom deal similar to the TPPA.
Ah, Comrade Savage.
You should have a word in Comrade Cunliffe’s ear.
He appears to be falling off the staunch Republican path.
Isn’t he complaining that he doesn’t have as much time with the Duke and Duchess as does the Prime Minister?
Why is he wishing to put himself into the bowing, scraping, forelock tugging state that all good members of the proletariat would despise?
Surely he doesn’t enjoy kow-towing before his aristocratic superiors?
What specifically does a head of state actually do?
Don’t we elect people to govern our country and have ministries to manage our affairs?
The royals, who are breaking protocol for no other reason are here at the behest of their currency trader mate, john key is nothing more than a PR stunt, and one that will cost NZ a million PLUS that this country can ill afford and that john key will have to borrow for, while hundreds of thousands of NZers are struggling in poverty, to influence the election and garner votes for national at the ballot box. Before I didn’t give a stuff about the royals either way, now I feel nothing but contempt, and I hope it all back fires on john key.
the politics of the royal tour is that key is a kiss arse double dealer. on one hand he wants to ditch the union jack but on the other hand he fawns over the royals like a dopey dog that wants a PAT . Only schizoids can hold two opposing positions at the same time!
and the royals must be pretty thick if they cant they see through him?
cunliffe seems to want to kiss some of the same arse… not impressed with his whining yesterday, but then I vote Green, so what do I care.
That’s the way the MSM spun it. But I understood Cunliffe’s comments to be more of a public alert to the way Key is using celebrity photo ops to his electoral advantage. Good to point this out early on in the year, then move on.
Cool, but do you think that’s how people will have taken it?
I would have used Shane Jones to say it… in his inimitable way, but he is probably queuing up to hongi Kate.
I was shocked at the very deliberate editting on Prime news last night to make Key’s meeting with William seem more interesting than Cunliffe’s.
A VERY conscious decision had to be made to cut the sentence where SKY did.
SKY’s Prime news started the audio at “the deeper economic issues, such as the problems with the balance of payments”
“Cunliffe expected to discuss those issues the visitor wanted to raise. He would also be happy to brief him on things Labour thought were important such as building a fairer and more decent country and including everybody in the opportunities.
“I’m sure that he would agree with that.”
He would also talk about the deeper economic issues, such as the problems with the balance of payments.
“He’s a very well read and a very substantive person and a very charming person so I am looking forward to the meeting.”
It’s been put into the public consciousness, reinforced by Peters saying there shouldn’t have been a royal tour in election year. I think many Kiwis are a bit ho hum about the royal tour. It’s just the MSM that keeps talking it up.
If Kiwi’s are ho hum about it then why is Cunliffe concerned about the photo ops.
Quite the contrary, Cunliffe is rightly concerned with the interest in this tour, the good vibes it will create, and the fact the scum bag will be there smiling and waving at every opportunity.
Photo ops as headline news, still have an impact on many people’s consciousness – even if it’s in passing.
Interesting to see that Herald Online yesterday recorded more hits for the Peaxches Geldoff story, than for the ones on the Royals.
Agree Karol.
And if you want The Greens in government you need Labour to cross that line and win the election Tracey.
Is Key going to take the Prince to his favourite street in NZ to talk to his favourite little example of the brighter future?
McGehan Close
“”I’m talking about places where rungs on the ladder of opportunity have been broken. ” J Key 2008
Will he ask the Prince to meet Aroha Ireland, his symbol of the brighter future in NZ?
Miss Ireland left NZ for Melbourne when she was 17, has a job and aint coming back.
Good golly look at the papers. KEY ABDUCTS BABY TO CRASH PLUNKET EVENT.
Does anyone give a sh*t? Apart from you, overreacting and wrongly analysing the situation yet again Greggles? The only person who won’t shut up about the political impact of this is Cunliffe for christ’s sake.
The amount of impact that this tour will have on the election is next to ZERO. And that you assume it will be important speaks volumes about your (near zero anyway after your “trust” advice ;)) credibility as a commentator, and your opinions of the voting public.
Of all your numptiness, this is one of your most numpty moments.
yes lets talk about the 1 billion dollar shortfall in the tax take for the last 8 months. better still, why wont key talk about it?
Kia ora all, Just to be clear: The Republic Movement is now called New Zealand Republic. This name change has involved launching a new streamlined website. A lot of the material from our old website has not been transferred over to the new site in order to avoid clutter. We will however look at providing an archive of material at some future date as time and campaign priorities allow. Visit the site http://www.republic.org.nz and you will see what we mean.
Our polling has always showed consistently high support for change and we will carry on campaigning to make sure more NZers know what we stand for and support us. Thanks, Savage, Chair of New Zealand Republic.
Thanks Savage. I made the comment because I believe the Republican Movement has a proud history and that it is important to preserve it. Websites are becoming a very good repository of history and it should be preserved. I am also interested that your predecessor should become a National Party candidate as historically National has been the least sympathetic to the Republican movement.
We have always had support from across the parties but yes you are right. Labour supporters tend to support more. On current polling NZ First supporters are the least likely to want a New Zealander as their head of state.
Greens have a clear policy to support a referendum and Labour does now as well. United Future is in agreement but we’ll keep on working to get all parties to adopt a clear policy one way or the other. We are sometimes criticised for having a bias to the left or right but from day one we have always understood that consitutional change has to work wider than that if its going to be effective.
FTQ