Editorial: A right royal fuss, and why?

OPINION: If it ain't broke, the advice goes, don't fix it. It's advice worth revisiting as republicans try to build a clamour to ditch the monarchy and turn New Zealand into a republic.

Before going too far with this, it's worth noting that the most politically stable and free nations include several monarchies – Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and, for the past 63 years, Japan.

Our previous prime minister, Helen Clark, nevertheless made no secret of her republican inclinations. She informed Prince Charles that New Zealand eventually would cut its links with the British monarchy.

To nudge change in that direction, the Clark government abolished the title of Queen's Counsel in the legal profession, replacing it with the unimaginatively bland Senior Counsel, and abolished titular knighthood and damehood honours, which were restored by the Key government. Clark's government also abolished appeals to the Privy Council in London, although its services had cost New Zealand nothing, to set up our own Supreme Court.

In that case, fixing something that didn't need fixing has cost taxpayers $80.7 million just to give the judges a new Supreme Court building. It is fair to say our best legal brains should be more than capable of handling these cases, though the integrity of the country's top court has been sullied by the case of Justice Bill Wilson, whose ruling in favour of a close friend's client is being investigated by the Judicial Conduct Commission.

Paradoxically Prince Charles' son, Prince William, was in Wellington this week to open the building and cut one more symbolic link with Britain. His visit to this country, however, was a public relations success for himself and for the Royal Family.

The worldwide media coverage was extensive and valuable. "Every time Prince William's trip to Aotearoa is mentioned, it is a bold advertisement for New Zealand," said Professor Noel Cox, chair of Monarchy New Zealand.

The Prince's visit presumably prompted the Otago Daily Times to poll to measure the degree of support for the monarchy and whether New Zealand should become a republic. No doubt it influenced the responses too: the big majority wanted to stick with the monarchy and many said the monarchy was part of New Zealand's heritage, providing stability.

A more substantial test will be the debate triggered by the Head of State Referenda Bill, designed to give voters a choice to retain the monarch as head of state. Then we would determine how a president should be appointed. Promoted by Green Party MP Keith Locke, the private member's bill is likely to get its first reading in Parliament in March.

But, however he is decided, the new "president" would have almost the same powers (largely ceremonial) as the Governor-General. So why bother?

- © Fairfax NZ News