Constitutional reform cartoon

The New Zealand public shows less interest than political scientists in constitutional reform. During her long reign, Queen Elizabeth II’s prime ministers have varied from strong monarchists (Holland, Holyoake and Key) to open republicans (Lange, Bolger and Clark).

The National-led government that came to power in 2008 agreed to undertake a constitutional review as part of its support agreement with the Māori Party. In this 2011 cartoon, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Māori Party co-leader Pita Sharples struggle to push the heavy weight of ‘constitutional reform’ uphill while Prime Minister John Key pays homage to the Queen.