Thursday, February 26, 2004
What happens when the Crown is no more
In Hard News today Russell Brown states that New Zealanders are comfortable with the notion of Crown Ownership, he is probably right;
Even Tariana Turia has admitted that the new formulation, which she doesn't like any more than the old one, will actually "give my people more certainty". The government will be hoping that the wider public feels the same way. Hardly anybody grasped the public domain proposal, but New Zealanders do, and always have, felt comfortable about Crown ownership.
That stirred a question for me, what happens when Helen and Margaret finish the job and do a Republic of New Zealand make? I imagine it simply means that The Crown is replaced by the Government or Republic in legislation. But for now, the Crown suits Helen, 'we're vesting it in the Crown' certainly sounds more benign than 'we're taking it'.
