A welcome u-turn from Dr Cullen
The HoS reports:
Prince Charles is strange and his father so insensitive and prejudiced that he could be a breakfast TV host, says New Zealand’s former deputy prime minister.
Michael Cullen’s comments, contained in notes for a speech he will make in Wellington this week, are bound to outrage supporters of the monarchy.
As a senior Cabinet minister, Cullen described himself as the Labour Government’s “token monarchist” and fought against any move for New Zealand to become a republic.
But, in a major about-turn at a constitution conference on Friday, he will publicly lay out a road map to becoming a republic when the Queen dies.
I’m pleased to see Dr Cullen leave the monarchist camp and join the republicans.
My motivations are not so much the personal characteristics of certain royals. They are:
- A republic would provide greater limitations on the role of the Prime Minister
- I believe our head of state should be a New Zealander
- Hereditary selection for a role is inferior to democratic selection
- A move to a republic will probably lead to a written constitution, which would generally be desirable