<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A fresh debate has erupted across the Tasman Sea over whether </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/new-zealand" rel="" target="_blank" title="New Zealand"><span>New Zealand</span></a><span> should officially be adopted as Australia's seventh state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kiwi pollster and political commentator David Farrar re-ignited the longstanding discussion and said it was high time New Zealand took up the 125-year-old invitation to become part of Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360941539/time-new-zealand-become-seventh-state-australia?_gl=1*1v2q2wk*_ga*ODg5NTA0OTYwLjE3NTM2NTI4NjI.*_ga_P3Q4DDZ07F*czE3NzAxNDk2MDUkbzE5NiRnMSR0MTc3MDE0OTYxOSRqNDYkbDAkaDA" rel="" target="_blank" title="Farrar wrote in an opinion piece for The Post"><span>Farrar wrote in an opinion piece for </span><em><span>The Post</span></em></a><span> that Aotearoa should merge with Australia in the name of security amid rising global political tensions.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/not-so-grey-nomads-south-australian-couple-allan-mercer-jess-smith-ditched-mortgage-and-rentals-for-life-on-the-road/c46712f9-d91b-4600-80ae-621757bfed51" rel="" target="_blank" title="Jess and Allan chose to drive 116,000km over having a mortgage"><strong><span>Jess and Allan chose to drive 116,000km over having a mortgage</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said NZ needs to be "bigger to survive" and floated the idea of the country of 5.2 million people becoming an Australian colony.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Joining Australia will protect New Zealand, enhance Australia and benefit us all," Farrar wrote.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The writer claimed the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Trump administration"><span>Trump administration</span></a><span> has threatened the old world order, a reference to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the NATO meeting in Davos.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/new-zealand-commentator-sparks-debate-over-plea-to-make-country-australian-state/b24e44f2-2dd8-4171-bcff-83df839d4de2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The rules-based order is gone, and is not returning," Farrar added.</span></div></div><div class="vote" data-has-voted="false" data-question-id="dbbb19e4-ce65-4e6e-a72d-936be6ef1f74"><h2>Should New Zealand become an Australian state?</h2><div class="vote__answer" data-id="0"><div class="vote__option" style="background-color:#008000"><input type="button" value="Yes"/></div></div><div class="vote__answer" data-id="1"><div class="vote__option" style="background-color:#008000"><input type="button" value="No"/></div></div><div class="vote__result"><div class="vote__result__text" style="color:#008000">Yes</div><div class="vote__result__bar-container"><span class="vote__result__bar" style="background-color:#008000;width:100%"></span><span class="vote__result__bar-text"></span></div><span class="vote__result__count">1</span></div><div class="vote__result"><div class="vote__result__text" style="color:#008000">No</div><div class="vote__result__bar-container"><span class="vote__result__bar" style="background-color:#008000;width:0%"></span><span class="vote__result__bar-text"></span></div><span class="vote__result__count">1</span></div><div class="vote__recaptcha" id="vote-recaptcha-dbbb19e4-ce65-4e6e-a72d-936be6ef1f74"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are in an era where countries with might will do what they see as right for them."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Farrar's suggestion is not far-fetched – Australia's constitution actually states that New Zealand may be admitted into Australia as a state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Commonwealth colony of NZ also participated in early Federation conferences before it was deemed an independent state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There is also a reciprocal agreement which allows NZ residents to visit, live and work in Australia without a tourist or work visa, and vice versa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/matila-bee-playground-proposal-memorial-for-bondi-beach-terror-attack/71e9e655-bc55-423c-b744-47cc9745d139" target="_blank"><strong><span>Thousands back push to memorialise Bondi victim Matilda at playground</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, it appears many Kiwi residents aren't chuffed with the idea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The opinion piece quickly triggered similar articles arguing against New Zealand becoming an Australian state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://thebluereview.substack.com/p/against-joining-australia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Conservative political commentator Liam Hehir"><span>Conservative political commentator Liam Hehir</span></a><span> said the country's political independence is not something that should be traded away and argued the country's national identity is something to be preserved.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If independence is to end, it will end because it has become impossible to sustain, not because a cost-benefit analysis shows we might do better as someone else's state," he wrote.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Until then, the task is not to redesign ourselves, but to do our very best to adapt and thrive giving up as little about ourselves as possible."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-news-south-east-australia-on-alert-for-high-to-extreme-fire-danger/74532cf0-0bc0-4ec8-827c-ec3fe0238d55" target="_blank"><strong><span>Scorching heat and high winds trigger extreme fire danger warnings</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another piece from </span><em><span>The Post</span></em><span> noted that any desire from New Zealand to join Australia would likely be "unrequited".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360933253/it-really-time-nz-become-australian-state" rel="" target="_blank" title="A survey launched by Stuff"><span>A survey launched by </span><em><span>Stuff</span></em></a><span> also found 56 per cent of its readers oppose the idea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon immediately ruled out the idea of abandoning sovereignty.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This won't be happening," a spokesperson from his office told </span><em><span>The Post</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"New Zealand values our close relationship with Australia, but we also value our unique national identity and our sovereignty."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div 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