I DO REMEMBER, OK?

 Many members of my and The Old Girl's family served in the wars that New Zealand and UK have been involved in - Boer War, WW1, WW2, Korea and  Malaya.

I remember their service, sufferings and sometimes their deaths in combat when I attend ANZC Day services. ANZAC Day and Armistice Day are the two main remembrance days among others like Battle of Britain Day (some relatives served in the R.A.F and R.N.Z.A.F. in WW2).

Why though, do we need to, when overseas politicians and people of importance visit,  go through the wreath laying ceremony somewhere in the country. The latest was in Queenstown when Jacinda Ardern met with the Australian prime minister Scott Morrison.

I get it. New Zealand and Australian troops forged an alliance in WW1 and fought side by side at Gallipoli. That's why we celebrate ANZAC Day.

When the two PMs meet they should just get photographed under the two countries flags like here:

If we need to celebrate something that our two nations have in common, why not look out for something that celebrates peace, prosperity and advancement?

• Antarctic exploration and scientific study
• United Nations peacekeeping exercises
• Bi-lateral trade arrangements
• Winemaking and wine marketing

A photograph of the two prime ministers at a winery or at the Antarctica museum in Christchurch would, to me, be more appropriate.

This doesn't mean that we have to get too cosy with Australia. There are still fundamental differences between us in the way our countries are run and how we trade with other countries - the current China/Australia feud is a good example.

There's no way soon that we will join Australia and become another state.

This from Wikipedia:

The 1901 Australian Constitution included provisions to allow New Zealand to join Australia as its seventh state, even after the government of New Zealand had already decided against such a move. The sixth of the initial defining and covering clauses in part provides that:
'The States' shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the Northern Territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called 'a State'.
One of the reasons that New Zealand chose not to join Australia was due to perceptions that the indigenous Māori population would suffer as a result. At the time of Federation, indigenous Australians were only allowed to vote if they had been previously allowed to in their state of residence, unlike the Māori in New Zealand, who had equal voting rights from the founding of the colony. 
.............
From time to time the idea of joining Australia has been mooted, but has been ridiculed by some New Zealanders. When Australia's former opposition leader, John Hewson, raised the issue in 2000, New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark remarked that he could "dream on". 

 

A cartoon depicting New Zealand's reaction to Australia's invitation to join their federation, 1900.