21 December 1999

Green Party MP calls for new oath of allegiance

Green Party MP Keith Locke wants to see a Republican-friendly oath of allegiance in time for the next swearing-in of Parliament.

Mr Locke is calling for an the option of an oath without any reference to the Queen, after taking the traditional oath during the opening of Parliament yesterday.

"The gloss of my first day in the House was taken off by the overly monarchist text of the oath of allegiance," said Mr Locke. "As a republican, I was affronted by having to declare allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors.

Mr Locke objects to the head of state being a citizen of another country on the other side of the world, who has been appointed to the post because of her parentage.

"I fully understand that we have to declare our commitment to constitutional process of our country. But I would prefer an option without the reference to the Queen, which would be less offensive for the many republicans in our country," said Mr Locke.

Mr Locke has written to Helen Clarke, suggesting a meeting in the New Year to discuss changes to the text of the oath, which is covered by the Constitution Act 1986.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>