The inevitable republic

Some foreign inbreds are apparently visiting, which naturally means we have former politicians on TV telling us that a republic is inevitable:

It is "inevitable" that New Zealand will ditch the monarchy and become a republic, Sir Don McKinnon says.

Speaking on the eve of the royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the former deputy prime minister said the country has been moving towards republicanism "for a long time".

"I'm quite certain the royal family understands that completely," Sir Don said.

McKinnon is the latest in a long line of senior politicians (including John Key) to say this. And a poll from New Zealand Republic shows why:

A poll released today by New Zealand Republic, a body seeking a New Zealand head of state, showed 66 per cent of 18-30-year-olds wanted a homegrown head of state to replace the Queen, who is 87 and took the throne in 1952.

Prince William is second in line to the throne, after his father Prince Charles.

Overall, poll support for a New Zealand head of state was 44 per cent, 46 per cent favoured the status quo, with 10 per cent undecided.

The internals are here, but the upshot is that the monarchy is for old people. But while history appears to be on our sideTM, and the supporters of monarchy will die off quietly just as the supporters of religion are doing, we need to remember that in politics, nothing is "inevitable", and if we want something to happen, we actually need to make it happen. Otherwise we may find ourselves in twenty years time exactly where we are now: a monarchy, with politicians still saying that democratic change is "inevitable".