She questioned who made that decision on her behalf? She certainly didn't give anyone her permission. She went further and said the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi was too important to be left for an annual commemoration.
Its significance and importance should be remembered daily, particularly by governments. Treaty breaches are still occurring so there is unfinished business that needs urgent attention, she said.
It won't be long before we'll be asking where has the year gone? No sooner has the year begun than it's finished, flown by. The next 18 years will be no different. Before we know it, it'll be 2040 and we'll be commemorating the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
By then Māori language will be a core subject in schools, the country will be ready to become a republic after having worked through the constitutional changes required for that to happen, and co-governance will be common on statutory bodies.
We should not be surprised these changes have occurred. They have been proposed at various times over the years so it was only a matter of time, and timing is everything. These exciting changes will serve New Zealand well.
I can't say I have any sympathy for those wailing about the dramatic increase in everyday use of the Māori language. Those who complain about "having it rammed down our throats" will naturally be disappointed when it is introduced as a core school subject.
But they'll get used to it.
It will be a relief to hear Māori pronounced correctly at last. Listening and watching on TV those attacking the wider use of Māori language in mainstream New Zealand, I notice they invariably have very poor Māori pronunciation. Not surprising of course, as even the basics of the language were never taught to their generation, but we now have an opportunity to correct that.
We are only just starting to teach New Zealand history in our schools.
Generations of New Zealanders deprived of learning the history of their country let alone having any knowledge and understanding of the beautiful Māori language. Learning the language will also open up a whole new world of cultural understanding. I think the monolingual New Zealander will be the disadvantaged one over time. However, that generation is passing.
The call for New Zealand to become a republic has been around for some years.
No referendum has yet been put to the public. In 2009, Green Party MP Keith Locke's Head of State Referenda Bill for a referendum on the republic issue was introduced into Parliament in October. The bill was defeated at its first reading the following year. I think when Queen Elizabeth is no longer with us, the republican question will be back on the agenda.
I have always admired the Queen's dedication to duty and the service she has given to her own country and the Commonwealth. But is an overseas monarch still appropriate to New Zealand's evolving national and constitutional identity today?
We will always have a shared history with Britain but strong family ties can, over time, loosen and separate. New Zealand can make its own way in the world. We need constitutional arrangements made close to home that suit us best.
And the dreaded co-governance that seems to be spooking some people at the moment will work effectively. Giving expression and action to full iwi participation, including that directed by Treaty settlements, in developing the strategic direction of regulatory organisations, SOEs and trusts.
Shared decision-making to achieve the best in shared outcomes for all.
New Zealand has an exciting future ahead. The Crown representative and chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 held high hopes for New Zealand. There are obligations and responsibilities on both parties. It is time the Crown honoured its part as a Treaty partner. Maori will no longer accept that they continue to do all the heavy lifting
- Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is chairwoman of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, a Lakes District Health Board member and Rotorua district councillor.
