The Queen inspects the New Zealand Defence Forces.
NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCES
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The Crown has always maintained a close relationship with the armed forces, which are raised in the Queen's name. The Sovereign is head of the armed services and the Governor-General is "Commander-in-Chief in and over New Zealand." These roles are important for two reasons. First, it is important that New Zealand's military be loyal to the whole country, not a politician or political faction. The easiest way to ensure this is to put them under the ultimate command of the Queen, the embodiment of New Zealand. Her loyalty is to the country as a whole, not a political party. This will prevent them from being used illegitimately. Also, if there were ever confusion in a political crisis about who is in command of the military, the answer is very clear. In many political systems this is not the case.
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Governor-General Satyanand inspects members of the Royal New Zealand Navy. As Commander-in-Chief he wears the uniform of an Admiral. |
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Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son (left). He is wearing the uniform of the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment. |
The other reason it is very important
for the Queen and the Governor-General to have a close relationship with
the military is to hear their concerns. The Queen, many members of the
royal family, and the Governor-General are Colonels-in-Chief of many regiments
in the armed forces. This means that members of the armed services have
the right to speak directly to them. The Queen and the Governor-General
can then hear how the military is faring without the elected government
censoring them. The armed forces go where they are ordered and do what
they are told. They do not reject the demands made of them. This makes
it all the more important that their legitimate concerns be heard. Sometimes
politicians may not want to hear these concerns for political reasons.
New Zealanders owe it to the men and women of the armed services to ensure
that they always have a direct line of communication to the highest authority
in the nation, a permanent, non-political person.
