The Constitution Act 1986 requires that, before being permitted to sit or vote in the House of Representatives, members of Parliament must take the Oath of Allegiance.
[2] In May 2004, the Minister of Justice, Phil Goff, announced a review of New Zealand's oaths and affirmations[3] stating: "This review also offers a chance for people to express a view on whether our oaths accurately reflect the values and beliefs that are important to New Zealanders in the 21st century".
The Monarchist League called the change "republicanism by stealth" and commented that "[a] declaration of allegiance to New Zealand, or to the Prime Minister, would be a poor substitute [for the Queen]".
[6] The Republican Movement also submitted that "[t]he Australians have already updated their oath of citizenship so that there is no mention of the Queen, while maintaining the exact same constitutional monarchy as New Zealand".
[11] Several members of Parliament have attempted to swear allegiance to the Treaty of Waitangi rather than give the official Oath at their swearing-in.
Māori Party MPs and Green MP Nándor Tánczos in 2005, Mana Movement MP Hone Harawira in 2011 and Te Pāti Māori MPs in 2023 notably made an unofficial alternative declaration of allegiance before completing the required official Oath or declaration.