The Republic of New Zealand Party

Last updated

The Republic of New Zealand Party
Leader (as of 2011) Kerry Bevin [1]
FoundedFormed April 2005, registered 15 July 2005
DissolvedDeregistered 30 July 2009, [2] but activity under the name has continued at least until 2020
Ideology Republicanism

The Republic of New Zealand Party (RONZP or RNZP, or "The Republicans") is an unregistered New Zealand political party which seeks to end monarchy in New Zealand. It was a registered party from 2005 to 2009, contesting two general elections in that time and each time receiving the lowest share of the party vote. After deregistration, some members continued in politics under the party name, though since at least 2011 only one person, Jack Gielen, has contested elections under the name.

Contents

Policies

A 2005 New Zealand Herald article said: "The party's aim is simple: to cut all ties with the British monarchy and install a New Zealander as head of state. A president, elected at large by the citizens, would replace the Governor-General as a figurehead, with parliament continuing as normal." The party also sought to strip the Treaty of Waitangi of any constitutional status, replacing it with a new constitution. It also supported binding referendums, wanting to hold one every six months, and wanted to mend relationships with the USA and allow nuclear-propelled ships into New Zealand waters. It identified most strongly with New Zealand First of all the parliamentary parties. [3]

Creation

The Republic of New Zealand Party was formed in April 2005 through the merger of two republican groups. Its first leader was John Kairau. In August 2005, the party claimed to have 3,000 members. [3]

Time as a registered party

In the 2005 elections, the party won 344 party votes or 0.02%, [4] the lowest party vote count of any registered party. The party also did not win any electorate seats, so did not meet the threshold required to enter parliament. In the 2008 elections the party polled even worse; it received 313 party votes or 0.01%, which again was the worst party vote result. [5]

The party's registration was cancelled in 2009. [2] [ dead link ]

After deregistration

Despite deregistering, a handful of the party's members remained active under its name, including burning the New Zealand flag at parliament in a protest in March 2010. [6]

The party's former deputy leader Jack Gielen, [7] who had run for Mayor of Hamilton in 2007, [8] did so again in 2010. He placed last with 404 votes. [9] During the campaign doubts were raised over Gielen's claims that he was "New Zealand Republicans Spokesperson for Mental Health and Suicide prevention." Lewis Holden, chair of New Zealand Republic, said Mr Gielen had nothing to do with New Zealand Republic and was "trying to piggyback off" the group. Gielen responded that the Republic of New Zealand Party was trying to get its membership together, saying "we have 200 members. Provided we get 500 members we can be re-registered for the next [2011] election. We are the real Republicans because I burnt a flag and told Prince Wills to go home. We look at them [the Republican Movement] as a [sic] poser because they are not the real deal." [10]

In September 2011, just before the election, the party announced it would merge with the OurNZ Party. [11] The merger did not go ahead, and the party continued to issue media releases as an independent entity after that. [12] The Republic of New Zealand Party did not register for the 2011 general election and did not run any candidates. [2] [ dead link ]

In 2012, media releases indicated the party was working with the Human Rights Party. [13] [ better source needed ]

Jack Gielen ran for the Hamilton East electorate, under the Republic of New Zealand Party banner, in 2017, 2020, and 2023. In 2017 and 2020 he came last, getting 65 votes [14] [15] and then 28 votes. [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in New Zealand</span> Political elections for public offices in New Zealand

New Zealand is a representative democracy in which members of the unicameral New Zealand Parliament gain their seats through elections. General elections are usually held every three years; they may be held at an earlier date at the discretion of the prime minister, although it usually only happens in the event of a vote of no confidence or other exceptional circumstances. A by-election is held to fill an electorate vacancy arising during a parliamentary term. The most recent general election took place on 17 October 2020.

United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 New Zealand general election</span> General election in New Zealand

The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse than previous elections. Under the new MMP system, 65 members were elected in single-member districts by first-past-the-post voting, while a further 55 "top-up" members were allocated from closed lists to achieve a proportional distribution based on each party's share of the nationwide party vote.

Wiremu Mulligan "Bill" Gudgeon is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the New Zealand First party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral system of New Zealand</span> System by which New Zealand parliament is elected

The New Zealand electoral system has been mixed-member proportional (MMP) since the 1996 election. MMP was introduced following a referendum in 1993. It replaced the first-past-the-post (FPP) system New Zealand had previously used for most of its history. Under MMP, New Zealanders have two votes to elect members of Parliament (MPs). The first vote is for a candidate from an electorate. The second is the party vote – for the political party the voter wants to form the government.

Garry B. Mallett is a New Zealand politician. He was the fourth President of ACT New Zealand. As of 2010 he resides in Hamilton, New Zealand, and is a former owner-operator of a branch of Les Mills International there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 New Zealand general election</span> General election in New Zealand

The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand Parliament. The liberal-conservative National Party, headed by its parliamentary leader John Key, won the largest share of votes and seats, ending nine years of government by the social-democratic Labour Party, led by Helen Clark. Key announced a week later that he would lead a National minority government with confidence-and-supply support from the ACT, United Future and Māori parties. The Governor-General swore Key in as New Zealand's 38th Prime Minister on 19 November 2008. This marked the beginning of the Fifth National Government which governed for the next nine years, until the 2017 general election, when a government was formed between the Labour and New Zealand First parties, with support on confidence and supply by the Green Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton East (New Zealand electorate)</span> Electoral district in Waikato, New Zealand

Hamilton East is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It is currently held by Jamie Strange MP of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton West (New Zealand electorate)</span> Electoral district in Waikato, New Zealand

Hamilton West is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It has been held by Tama Potaka MP of the National Party since the 2022 by-election.

Port Waikato is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate which existed for four parliamentary terms from 1996 to 2008, and was recreated by the 2019/20 electoral redistribution ahead of the 2020 election. It was held by Bill Birch for one term, and by Paul Hutchison for the following three terms; both were members of the National Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candidates in the 2008 New Zealand general election by electorate</span>

Seventy of the one hundred and twenty members of the New Zealand House of Representatives elected in New Zealand's 2008 general election will be from single member constituencies, an increase of one electorate seat from 2005. The initial composition of the 2005 Parliament gave the Labour and National parties each 31 constituencies, the Māori Party four and ACT, United Future and the Progressive Party one each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waikato (New Zealand electorate)</span> Electoral district in New Zealand

Waikato is an electorate in the New Zealand Parliament. A Waikato electorate was first created in 1871 and an electorate by this name has existed from 1871 to 1963, 1969 to 1996, and 2008 to the present, though exact borders have often changed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Macindoe</span> New Zealand politician

Timothy Harley Macindoe is a New Zealand politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2008 for the Hamilton West electorate. Macindoe previously served as the Minister of Customs in the Fifth National Government.

The 2011 New Zealand voting system referendum was a referendum on whether to keep the existing mixed member proportional (MMP) voting system, or to change to another voting system, for electing Members of Parliament to New Zealand's House of Representatives. It was held on 26 November 2011 in conjunction with the 2011 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim van de Molen</span> New Zealand National Party politician

Timothy John van de Molen is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candidates in the 1999 New Zealand general election by electorate</span>

67 electorate members of the New Zealand House of Representatives were to be elected in the general election on 27 November 1999. The tables below show the candidates for each electorate. Incumbent electorate MPs are highlighted in blue, and those candidates who were members of the previous parliament via their party list—regardless of which electorate they previously contested—are highlighted in red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow-Jean Prime</span> New Zealand politician

Willow-Jean Prime is a New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand Parliament at the 2017 general election as a list representative of the New Zealand Labour Party. At the 2020 election, she won the electorate of Northland by 163 votes, the closest election of the 2020 cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Strange</span> New Zealand politician

Jamie Ross Strange is a New Zealand politician. He is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.

Heartland New Zealand is a New Zealand political party founded in 2020. The party is rural-based, and opposed the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, the Paris Agreement, and attempts to limit the environmental impacts of agriculture.

References

  1. ↑ "A constitution supersedes the treaty". Scoop.co.nz.
  2. 1 2 3 "Electoral Commission Decision Number: 2009-33" (PDF). NZ Electoral Commission. 30 July 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Small parties battle election arithmetic". 7 August 2005. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Overall Status". www.electionresults.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "Official Count Results – Overall Status". New Zealand Ministry of Justice. 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "Police investigating after flag burnt at Parliament".
  7. ↑ "Republican Party calls for William to leave NZ". 3 News. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  8. ↑ "What do Hamilton's mayoral hopefuls want for this city?". Waikato Times. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  9. ↑ "Elections: Hamilton City Mayor". 13 October 2010.
  10. ↑ "Doubts for Gielen over claims". Waikato Times. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  11. ↑ "Our NZ has a constitution". Scoop.co.nz. 5 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Constitutional Review A Joke". Scoop.co.nz. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  13. ↑ "A private member's bill to include omitted children's rights is suggested and public discussion of ethical human rights". Indymedia. 2 June 2012. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Hamilton East: Electoral Profile - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Electorate Profiles: Glossary - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "Hamilton East candidates". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Hamilton East - Official Result". Electoral Commission.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.