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General
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Other countries · Atlas |
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The Realm of New Zealand is the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state. The Realm comprises New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica,[1] and is defined by a 1983 Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand.[2]
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The Governor-General of New Zealand represents the head of state (Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand) in the area of the Realm. Essentially, Governors-General take on all the dignities and reserve powers of the head of state. As of 2011[update] the Governor-General is Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae.
Both the Cook Islands and Niue are said to be self-governing in free association with New Zealand. The New Zealand Parliament is not empowered to unilaterally pass legislation in respect of these countries. In foreign affairs and defence issues New Zealand acts on behalf of these countries but only with their advice and consent.
As the Governor-General is resident in New Zealand, the Cook Islands Constitution provides for the distinct position of Queen's Representative. This individual is not subordinate to the Governor-General and acts as the local representative of the Queen in right of New Zealand. As of 2005[update] Sir Frederick Tutu Goodwin is the Queen's Representative to the Cook Islands. This arrangement effectively allows for the de facto independent actions of internal and most external areas of governance.
According to the Niue's Constitution of 1974, the Governor-General of New Zealand acts as the Queen's representative.
In the Cook Islands and Niue the New Zealand High Commissioner is the diplomatic representative from New Zealand. John Carter is the New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands. As of 2009[update], Anton Ojala is the New Zealand High Commissioner to Niue.
Despite their close relationship to New Zealand, both the Cook Islands and Niue maintain some diplomatic relations in their own name. Both countries maintain High Commissions in New Zealand and have New Zealand High Commissioners resident in their capitals. In Commonwealth practice, High Commissioners represent their governments, not the Head of State.
New Zealand proper consists of the following island groups:
Tokelau has a lesser degree of de jure independence than the Cook Islands and Niue have, and had been moving toward free association status. New Zealand's representative in Tokelau is the Administrator of Tokelau and has the power to overturn rules passed by the general fono. The people of Tokelau have generally rejected accepting a system of governance with equal powers to that of Niue and the Cook Islands by the means of several referenda conducted by New Zealand and with the United Nations request.
The Ross Dependency is constitutionally part of New Zealand.[3] The Governor-General of New Zealand is also the Governor of the Ross Dependency. The Ross Dependency includes McMurdo Station, operated by the United States, which does not recognise New Zealand sovereignty of Ross Dependency. The application of Sovereignty within the Dependency is subsequent upon the enforcement of terms found within the Antarctic Treaty.
| Area | Representative of the Queen | Head of the Government | Legislature | Capital | Population | Land Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Governor-General | Prime Minister | House of Representatives | Wellington | 4,107,883 | 268,680 km² |
| Cook Islands | Queen's Representative | Prime Minister | Parliament of the Cook Islands | Avarua | 21,388 | 236 km² |
| Niue | Representative of the Queen (the Governor-General of New Zealand) | Premier | Niue Assembly | Alofi | 2,145 | 260 km² |
| Tokelau | Administrator | Ulu-o-Tokelau (Head of the Council of Ongoing Government) | General Fono | None | 1,405 | 10 km² |
| Ross Dependency | Governor | Chief Executive | None | Scott Base | Scott Base: 10–80; McMurdo Station: 200–1000 (seasonally) |
450,000 km² |
Within New Zealand there exists some support[4][5] for a New Zealand republic. Should New Zealand become a republic it will retain the Ross Dependency and Tokelau as dependent territories and the Realm of New Zealand would continue to exist without New Zealand, the Ross Dependency and Tokelau.[6] This would not be a legal hurdle to a New Zealand republic as such, and both the Cook Islands and Niue would retain their status as associated states with New Zealand, as New Zealand shares its Head of State with the Cook Islands and Niue in the same way the Commonwealth realms share a Head of State. However, a New Zealand republic would present the issue of independence to the Cook Islands and Niue. Thus, a number of options for the future of the Realm of New Zealand exist should New Zealand become a republic:
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| Commonwealth realm | Realm of New Zealand | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States and dependencies | New Zealand | Ross Dependency | Tokelau | Cook Islands | Niue | ||||||
| Regions | 11 non-unitary regions | 5 unitary regions | Chatham Islands | Outlying islands outside any regional authority (the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, and sub-Antarctic islands) |
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| Territorial authorities | 13 cities and 53 districts | ||||||||||
| Notes | Some districts lie in more than one region | These combine the regional and the territorial authority levels in one | Special territorial authority | The outlying Solander Islands form part of the Southland Region | New Zealand's Antarctic territory | Non-self-governing territory of New Zealand | States in free association with New Zealand | ||||
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