When you look at the way 3 Waters became an existential race war and basic Indigenous representation was labelled apartheid, the chances of a rational debate around Republicanism are absolutely zero.
Any attempt to build a framework for Republicanism must address the relationship between the Crown and Māori and seeing as lots of European New Zealander’s feel they are under siege from Māorification because the weather has Māori words in it, engaging in any attempt to renegotiate that relationship is doomed to failure.
Right now the ACT Party is campaigning on using a referendum to redefine the Treaty with zero negotiation with Māori that ACT will then implement as law. This policy is likely to trigger a level of conflict in this country that we have never witnessed as Māori openly rebel at having a new Treaty that they haven’t negotiated forced upon them by ACT.
If we are merely 6 months out from an event that could trigger a race war, where the fuck does anyone think the space is to openly discuss a Republic?
We are simply not a mature enough culture to rationally debate a Republic.
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