Press Release Of The Monarchist League Of New Zealand

29 September 2001

The Monarchist League of New Zealand is disappointed that Mr Dave Guerin of the Republican Movement should have taken the postponement of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and the royal visit to New Zealand, as an opportunity to make a personal attack upon the character of Her Majesty The Queen.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Don McKinnon said yesterday that he had been in consultation with Commonwealth leaders regarding the feasibility of proceeding with the meeting as scheduled. The decision to postpone the conference resulted from the likely absence of a significant number of leaders, due to security concerns stemming from recent events in the United States of America.

The Queen was to tour New Zealand after the meeting. Buckingham Palace had considered the possibility of going ahead with the visits to New Zealand and Australia, even without the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, but both Prime Ministers advised her against this, promising a rescheduled visit next year, when it is expected that the Brisbane CHOGM will now be held.

The postponement of the royal visit cannot be taken to imply any lack of leadership skills on the part of the Queen, nor of any indifference of New Zealanders to a royal visit, as Mr Guerin claims. The Queen is said to be keenly disappointed that the visit has had to be postponed. It is simply a consequence of global security problems, something from which New Zealand cannot be isolated. For Mr Guerin to use the aftermath of the tragic events in America to promote the increasingly marginalised cause of republicanism is ill-judged.

Dr Noel Cox 123 Stanley Road Glenfield Auckland 1310 New Zealand tel: +64-9-444-7687 (private) or +64-9-917-9999 ext 5209 (university) fax: +64-9-444-7397 email: noel.cox@xtra.co.nz (private) or noel.cox@aut.ac.nz (university)

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