No plan for republic following queen’s death: New Zealand PM

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that her government has no plan to pursue any moves to change the country into a republic after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Ardern said she thought New Zealand will eventually become a republic, and it would probably happen within her lifetime, but that there were more pressing issues for her government.

The remarks were her first about the New Zealand republic debate since the queen’s demise, and reflect previous comments she has made on the issue. Ardern has also previously expressed her support for the country eventually becoming a republic.

Under the current system, the British monarch is New Zealand’s head of state, represented in New Zealand by a governor-general. The governor-general’s role these days is considered mainly ceremonial.

Still, many people say that New Zealand won’t fully step out from the shadows of its colonialist past and become a truly independent nation until it becomes a republic.