President Cath beats Sir Ed

Dame Catherine Tizard was once our link to the Queen. Now many New Zealanders would like her to replace the monarch.

The former Governor-General was the preferred president of a Republic of New Zealand in a Herald-DigiPoll survey - although previous surveys have shown we do not want to become a republic.

Dame Catherine beat Sir Edmund Hillary to the honour with just a few votes (17.6 per cent compared with 16.7 per cent), followed by Jim Bolger (12.5), Sir Peter Blake (7.2), Doug Myers (5.7), Colin Meads (4.9) and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (3.3).

Dame Catherine was Governor-General from 1990 to 1996 and received one of the monarchy's highest awards in 1995, the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

The poll victory could, however, be an empty honour for Dame Catherine, now chairwoman of the Historic Places Trust.

A Herald-DigiPoll last month revealed that 70.1 per cent of the people polled did not want to replace the Queen with a local head of state.

Nearly one-third of the 750 people polled on their choice of president refused to vote, or did not know whom they preferred, perhaps reflecting the reluctance to change.

Maori and young people were more willing to vote, choosing Sir Edmund as their figurehead.

Prime Minister Helen Clark, a republican, and National leader Jenny Shipley, a monarchist, have both suggested New Zealand will consider the question of becoming a republic at some stage.