The Lord Chamberlain ceremonially breaks his Wand of Office, signalling the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo / Jonathan Brady, Pool via AP
The Lord Chamberlain ceremonially breaks his Wand of Office, signalling the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo / Jonathan Brady, Pool via AP
Opinion
OPINION
Forty years ago, it was possible to believe that it was only a matter of time before Aotearoa New Zealand became a republic. Royalists were seen as slightly-backward relics of a past age.
Most of us thought the passing of the older generation would result in a natural evolutionto a republic. It seemed certain that while we might remain loyal to the Queen while she lived, we would then ditch the monarchy and stand on our own two feet once she died.
I'm no longer convinced. Instead, I think our legs won't hold us up.
Firstly, when so many can sob at QEII's passing but not give a second thought to our children living in motels (the Fenton St disaster is simply a stick to beat the Government) then something profound has been stirred.
I understand feeling sad as a long-standing connection has been lost. As a child, my South Dunedin school went, with every other, to the main road to wave flags as her motorcade passed. She whizzed by – I had no idea which of the various people she was – but later the same day saw her on the balcony of the Dunedin Town Hall in the Octagon.
I had assumed most of us were mildly curious but from reading in the last few days, it seems those childhood experiences made a bigger impression than I had thought. The surprising thing has been the interest in all things royal, including the reading of the proclamation of King Charles III as our new king from the steps of parliament. Could this really be seen as an episode to celebrate?
Simply put, I think too many of us are afraid to let go of Mother England's apron strings. Too many remain secretly thrilled at the endless reporting on the Royal family lives – voyeuristically watching, assured they share the same ordinary human foibles as the rest of us – infidelities, ego, lust, hubris, idiocy, and stupidity. Perhaps they provide a measure of reassurance as we go about our daily lives.
Secondly, many Māori leaders have always been reluctant to sever ties with the monarchy. Queen Victoria was their partner in the Treaty of Waitangi and they rightly believe this gives their claims for redress greater weight than they would get from the local branch office of their colonial masters. Why then would we expect Māori to give up their relationship with the monarchy in favour of an elected head of state?
The reaction of so many Pākeha, politicians in particular, to issues such as the foreshore and seabed, co-governance, the Tūhoe raids and Māori language in public spaces would give no encouragement to dropping the relationship with the Crown. Many Māori see the Union Jack on our flag as a lifeline rather than a tie to colonialism.
Thirdly, we are a vastly different country than we were in the 1980s when we began to step forward independently in the world. We challenged issues in global politics such as apartheid in South Africa, nuclear weapons testing, and our involvement in foreign military alliances. We met with the newly minted independent countries of Africa and the undeveloped world. We took the United Nations and our international responsibilities more seriously.
But we have regressed quite dramatically.
John Minto. Photo / Natalie Slade, File
We no longer have a credible claim to an independent foreign policy, no matter what our politicians say. We have been swept back into the orbit of the old European colonies: Australia, Canada and the US and we take comfort in "shared values" with them.
Instead of confidently standing independent, we measure our place in the world by our gold medals at the Commonwealth and Olympic games and how many individual "entrepreneurs" we produce, rather than the standard of living of our citizens.
We have lost any self-assurance to chart our own way at home, let alone in the world.
Instead, we live according to well-nurtured myths – that we are a great place to raise children, we punch above our weight, we are clean and green, we're a beacon for justice and tolerance, and we give everyone a fair go – despite overwhelming evidence that all this is a crock.
Aotearoa New Zealand is a great place to be, provided you are wealthy. Taxes on the wealthy and super-wealthy are low while corporate profits are high. Taxes on workers are high while wages are low and voluntary "codes of conduct" have replaced regulation. Great to do business but awful to try and raise a family.
We have drifted to become a fetid backwater for so many of us. Instead of growing in self-belief and maturity, we seem to have entered a second childhood.
We no longer have the self-confidence to become a republic.
