2004, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced the formation of a parliamentary committee of inquiry, the Constitutional Arrangements Committee, chaired by United Future New Zealand leader Peter Dunne. In its final report, the committee recommended wider education on the constitution and included a note on the republic issue, asking "Is the nature of New Zealand's head of state, as a monarch, appropriate to New Zealand's evolving national and constitutional identity?". Keith Locke's Head of State Referenda Bill for a referendum on the republic issue was drawn from the members' ballot and introduced into Parliament on 14 October 2009. The bill focused on reforming the governor-general of New Zealand as a ceremonial head of state, creating a parliamentary republic. Two models of a republic along with the status quo would have been put to a referendum: Election of the head of state indirectly by a supermajority of members of Parliament, similar to the bi-partisan appointment model proposed in Australia; Election of the head of state directly by the New Zealand electorate using the Single Transferable Vote electoral system, similar to Ireland. On 21 April 2010 the bill was defeated at its first reading 53–68 with voting recorded as Ayes 53 being New Zealand Labour 43; Green Party 9; United Future 1 and Noes 68 being New Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; Māori Party 4; Progressive 1. The debate Arguments for change Supporters of a New Zealand republic have said: New Zealand should have a New Zealander, or more correctly a New Zealand citizen resident in New Zealand, as its head of state; a "resident for president"; New Zealand needs to assert its independence, nationhood and maturity to the world; New Zealand's constitution—and indeed the attitudes of New Zealanders—are republican in their outlook. New Zealand already maintains the governor-general—who is described as a "virtual head of state". The governor-general is a New Zealander and does everything the head of state should do; Because the sovereign and governor-general have little real power, they are not an effective check on the parliamentary executive (the prime minister and Cabinet), the argument that the sovereign or governor-general "denies power" to politicians and is politically neutral yet can fire a prime minister is contradictory; An elected or appointed head of state would be a more effective check on the executive; A republic does not necessarily mean withdrawing from the Commonwealth. As of June 2022, 36 out