Simone Lawson
New Zealand features in the Australian Constitution as one of the colonies that could be admitted as states into the Commonwealth of Australia. The islands of New Zealand were once part of the Colony of New South Wales but became an independent colony in 1840. New Zealand's inclusion in the Australian Constitution is a result of early Federation conferences, where the possibility of New Zealand joining a federation with Australia was discussed. Despite New Zealand's delegates stating that they were unlikely to join a federation with Australia at its foundation, the country was given the option to join in the future. New Zealand citizens do not have the right to vote in Australian elections, and there are no current plans for New Zealand to become a state of Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| New Zealand is mentioned in the Australian Constitution | New Zealand |
| New Zealand citizens do not have the right to vote in Australian elections | No voting rights |
| New Zealand was a colony | New South Wales |
| New Zealand separated from New South Wales in 1840 | 16 November 1840 |
| New Zealand may be admitted into Australia as a state | New Zealand as a state |
| New Zealand did not attend the conferences where the draft Australian Constitution was written | No participation |
| New Zealand stated it would be unlikely to join a federation with Australia at its foundation | No federation |
| New Zealand may join at a later date | Later federation |
| New Zealand has close ties with Australia | Economic, cultural, migration, defence, governmental and people-to-people linkages |
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What You'll Learn
New Zealand's absence from constitution drafting
Despite this separation, Australia and New Zealand have always shared a close relationship. In 1890, an informal meeting took place between members of the Australasian colonies, followed by the first National Australasian Convention in 1891. During these discussions, New Zealand representatives expressed their reluctance to join a federation with Australia at its inception but left open the possibility of doing so in the future.
New Zealand's stance was considered during the drafting of Australia's Constitution, and the document includes a clause that allows New Zealand to merge with Australia. Specifically, Clause 6 of the Constitution mentions New Zealand and states that it "may be admitted into Australia as a state." This clause reflects the potential interest of New Zealand in joining the federation at a later stage.
However, it is important to note that New Zealand delegates were not present during the conferences where the draft Australian Constitution was written. This absence is understandable given New Zealand's earlier statement of their position and their lack of strong interest in joining with the Australian colonies to form a new country. Nonetheless, the inclusion of the clause in the Constitution demonstrates the ongoing consideration of New Zealand's potential role in the federation.
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Clause 6: New Zealand's option to join Australia
The Australian Constitution still contains a clause—Clause 6, to be precise—that allows New Zealand to merge with Australia. Clause 6, also referred to as Covering Clause 6, states that New Zealand may be admitted into Australia as a state. Section 121 of the Constitution provides the rules on how new states would be admitted.
New Zealand was one of the colonies asked to join in the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1890, there was an informal meeting of members from the Australasian colonies, followed by the first National Australasian convention a year later. At this convention, New Zealand representatives stated that they were unlikely to join a federation with Australia at its foundation but would consider doing so at a later date.
New Zealand's position was considered when the Constitution of Australia was written up. In an attempt to persuade New Zealand to join, Australia gave Māori the right to vote in 1902, while Aboriginal Australians did not gain the right to vote in national elections until 1962. New Zealand and Australian soldiers fought together in 1915 under the name ANZAC, and the two countries sent Australasian teams to the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1912.
There have been several proposals for New Zealand to become the seventh state of Australia. One proposal, suggested humorously by Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald, is that New Zealand's North Island and South Island could become the seventh and eighth states of the Commonwealth. A leading factor in the proposal of New Zealand as a state of Australia is the major economic benefits it could bring. In 2006, an Australian Federal Parliamentary Committee recommended that the two countries pursue a full union or, at the very least, adopt a common ANZ currency and more common markets.
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Economic benefits of a union
The Australian Constitution still contains a clause allowing New Zealand to merge with Australia. Covering clause 6 of the Constitution states that New Zealand may be admitted into Australia as a state.
There have been several proposals for New Zealand to become the seventh state of Australia. One proposal, suggested by Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald, is that New Zealand's North Island and South Island could become the seventh and eighth states of the Commonwealth.
A leading factor for the proposal of New Zealand as a state of Australia is the major economic benefits it could bring. In 2006, an Australian Federal Parliamentary Committee recommended that Australia and New Zealand pursue a full union or, at the very least, adopt a common ANZ currency and more common markets. The Committee found that the strong ties between the two countries, including economic, cultural, migration, defence, governmental, and people-to-people linkages, suggest that a closer relationship, including the possibility of union, is both desirable and realistic.
There are already many family connections between the two nations, with around 500,000 New Zealanders living in Australia and 60,000 Australians living in New Zealand as of 2013. Peter Slipper, a former Member of Australia's Parliament, once said of the proposal: "It's about how can we improve the quality of living for people on both sides of the Tasman."
However, free trade and open borders now appear to be the maximum extent of public acceptance of the proposal. Concerns have been expressed about the need for a common currency, with the Australian Treasurer Peter Costello and New Zealand Minister of Finance Michael Cullen saying that a common currency was "not on the agenda". Other disparities that could lead to conflict include the current constitutions (written in Australia, unwritten in New Zealand) and the status of political rights (constitutionally entrenched in Australia but not in New Zealand).
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Historical context: New Zealand as a colony
New Zealand was initially a part of the Colony of New South Wales. On November 16, 1840, New Zealand became a separate colony, marking the end of over 50 years of ambiguity surrounding the islands' relationship with the Australian colony.
New Zealand was one of the colonies invited to join the Commonwealth of Australia upon its formation. However, New Zealand delegates did not attend the conferences where the Australian Constitution was drafted, and in 1890, New Zealand representatives stated that they were unlikely to join a federation with Australia at its foundation. Despite this, New Zealand's position was considered when drafting the Constitution, and a clause was included that allows New Zealand to merge with Australia as a single or multiple states.
New Zealand's potential inclusion in the Commonwealth of Australia has been a topic of discussion since the 19th century. There have been several proposals for New Zealand to become the seventh state of Australia, with some suggesting that the North and South Islands could become the seventh and eighth states, respectively. One of the main arguments for this proposal is the significant economic benefits it could bring, as well as the close ties between the two nations, including family connections, with approximately 500,000 New Zealanders living in Australia and 60,000 Australians residing in New Zealand as of 2013.
However, there are also concerns and challenges associated with the proposal. Some of the disparities that could lead to conflict include the differences in constitutions (written in Australia, unwritten in New Zealand) and the status of political rights (constitutionally entrenched in Australia but not in New Zealand). Additionally, there would be considerations regarding the adoption of a common currency, as well as the significant geographical distance between the two countries, with around 1200 miles of sea separating them.
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Public opinion on a union
Historically, New Zealand was part of the Colony of New South Wales, but in 1840, it became an independent colony, ending more than 50 years of confusion over its relationship with the Australian colony. Despite this separation, Australia and New Zealand have always had a close relationship. New Zealand participated in early Federation conferences and its position was considered when the Constitution of Australia was drafted. However, New Zealand delegates did not attend the conferences where the Australian Constitution was written, and there was not a strong interest in New Zealand for joining with the Australian colonies to form a new country.
In the 19th century, there were informal discussions about the possibility of New Zealand joining a federation with Australia, and this option was included in the Australian Constitution. In 1890, New Zealand representatives stated that they were unlikely to join a federation with Australia at its foundation but might be interested in doing so later. This position was reflected in the Australian Constitution, which provides for the admission of new states to the federation, including independent countries or their dependent territories.
Over time, there have been various proposals for New Zealand to become a state of Australia, with some highlighting the potential economic benefits and family connections between the two nations. In 2006, an Australian Federal Parliamentary Committee recommended that the two countries pursue a full union or closer integration, including a common currency and more common markets. However, the idea of a common currency was not supported by the Australian Treasurer Peter Costello and the New Zealand Minister of Finance Michael Cullen at the time.
While the possibility of a union or closer integration has been debated, public acceptance often appears to extend only to free trade and open borders between the two countries. There are also concerns about disparities between the two nations, including their different approaches to political rights and constitutions. As of 2013, there were around 500,000 New Zealanders living in Australia and 60,000 Australians living in New Zealand, highlighting the close ties between the two nations.
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Frequently asked questions
New Zealand is mentioned in the Australian Constitution because it was one of the colonies asked to join in the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Constitution gives New Zealand the option to join Australia as a state.
New Zealand was separated from the Colony of New South Wales and made a colony in its own right on 16 November 1840. New Zealand participated in early Federation conferences and there have been several proposals for New Zealand to become the seventh state of Australia. However, New Zealand did not attend the conferences where the draft Australian Constitution was written, and there was not a strong interest in New Zealand for joining with the Australian colonies to form a new country.
A leading factor for the proposal of New Zealand as a state of Australia is the major economic benefits it could bring. There are also many family connections between the two nations, with around 500,000 New Zealanders living in Australia and 60,000 Australians living in New Zealand as of 2013.
No, New Zealanders do not have the right to vote in Australian elections.
