Yes, A Constitution

• advantage
• 1 year ago
• Categories: Deep stuff, Politics, treaty settlements, uncategorized

We are mature enough to have our own leader. Own our own shit.

And with most major claims done we are mature enough to turn the outstanding Maori redress claims into standard appeals against the state for compensation, past and future. Like everyone else does.

2040 would be a natural time to  actually propose a new constitution for New Zealand.

One that includes:

• An Elected head of state, powers, electoral cycle, electability
• The relationship of our Realm states. And of Australia. Also our territorial extent from Antarctica to the equator.
• Set out our embedded procedures around voting, transfers of power, formation and dissolution of government
• Set out the limits and exercise and delegations of Ministerial and Prime Ministerial powers, limits and exercise and delegations of powers of elected head of state
• Embed BORA with a 66% threshold the Parliamentary change
• Provide a named structure and accountability of broad state functions including judiciary, Police, NZDF, etc.
• Set out a relationship of Maori to Head of State. Maybe embed Maori seats. Maybe some other mechanism.
• Maybe constitutionalising the national parks since it’s about 30% of the land mass

We must surely by now be capable of thinking for ourselves, leading ourselves, checking and balancing ourselves.

If we aren’t capable of thinking for ourselves and trusting our own capacity for leadership, we immediately answer the question of whether we should have an alternative to the democratic monarchy we have. Which would be no.

One may well suggest that PM John Key’s flag debate showed that no, it’s not possible to unify us. Let’s just argue about the flag another time.

And we can argue about the personalities available to be a head of state only once we agree the mechanism within the constitution.

It’s only 17  years to our bicentennary.

The debate doesn’t have to be dry.

It has to be noisy. And it has to be done.