Poll puts support for monarchy at 45 percent

NZPA | Tuesday April 21 2009 - 03:31pm
New Zealanders still prefer the monarchy to becoming a republic but numbers are close, a new poll shows.

The poll, commissioned by the Republican Movement and published today coinciding with the Queen's 83rd birthday, found 43 percent wanted New Zealand to become a republic and did not want Prince Charles to become King.

Of the 1018 eligible voters polled 45 percent supported Prince Charles becoming King, 13 percent did not know or did not answer.

A Research New Zealand poll last December put support for a republic at 42 percent with 48 percent in favour of the monarchy.

The phone poll was conducted by Curia Research between March 25 and April 7 and had a margin of error of 3.1 percent.