Prime Minister John Key announces that he intends hold a referendum to change the NZ flag within 12 months. The proposed design is the silver fern on a black background removing both the Union Jack and confusion with the current…
A ReachTEL poll of 2100 people shows women currently supporting the Republic at 36 percent (men at 43 percent). This is the same percentage as the women’s vote before the1999 referendum. Overall support is 39.4 percent with highest support between people…
Again, WfaAR can only say: “hopefully the last” to the fourth GG appointment since the 1999 referendum – Hollingworth, Jeffrey, Bryce and now Cosgrove until 2019. We detected another sigh of relief as the ordained order of things in the…
Media reports say that that the States are vying with each other to host stages of this years visit by William and Kate. In true Oz fashion, bets are being laid as to whether Baby George (third in line to…
The Old Masters exhibition of 122 bark paintings at the National Museum includes “Coat of Arms” by Narritjin Maymuru painted in 1963, the only one to include non-traditional elements and a contemporary theme. It shows the joining together of British…
The PM announces in his New Year message that he will start “the conversation about a constitutional referendum to recognise the first Australians. This would complete our Constitution rather than change it.” Media outlets report that the Government intends to…
Apart from a mish-mash national identity – or no national identity at all – we can’t end the year without mentioning that old favourite ‘cultural cringe’ as captured neatly by AustraliaCulture blogger, Andrew Frost: The exhibition……”which opened in September, reminded…
Those seeking the route to the Republic by defining our national identity, would do well to pause and reflect on just how masculine that identity is. Two events from this year when “order as we know it” appeared to be…
The High Court (5 members including the Chief Justice) dismisses with costs an application that would require the Governor-General’s Office to release documents about Order of Australia nominations (see News Updates of 16 August 2013 and 25 May 2012). The…
It takes a foreigner to see this……Aung San Suu Kyi says Australians “lack passion for democratic processes and it needs to be reinvigorated. We’re just starting out on the road which you take for granted.” She also said, ” A…
