The
Parliament of New Zealand consists of the
Queen of New ZealandNew Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch since February 6, 1952...
and the
New Zealand House of RepresentativesThe New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
and, until 1951, the
New Zealand Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed rather than elected.-Role:...
. The House of Representatives is often referred to (incorrectly) as "Parliament".
The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of Parliament (MPs), sometimes more due to
overhang seatOverhang seats can arise in elections under the traditional mixed member proportional system, when a party is entitled to fewer seats as a result of party votes than it has won constituencies.-How overhang seats arise:...
s. MPs are directly elected by
universal suffrageUniversal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and noncitizens...
. The form of New Zealand government essentially follows the
Westminster systemThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, and the government is led by the
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
and
cabinetThe New Zealand Cabinet functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system. The Prime Minister and many Ministers of the Crown serve as members of the Cabinet....
who are chosen from amongst the members of the House of Representatives.
ParliamentThe New Zealand Parliament Buildings house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington...
is physically located in
WellingtonWellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand's third most populous urban area with residents. There are ...
, the capital city of New Zealand since 1865.
The Parliament was established by the British
New Zealand Constitution Act 1852The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and was the second enactment to grant the colony of New Zealand self-government, but the first to be fully implemented. The Act remained in force as part of New Zealand's unwritten constitution until it was...
which established a
bicameralIn government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses. Bicameralism is an essential and defining feature of the classical notion of mixed...
legislature.
The upper house, the
Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed rather than elected.-Role:...
, was abolished in 1951 so the legislature is now
unicameralUnicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Many countries with unicameral legislatures are often small and homogeneous unitary states and consider an upper house or second chamber unnecessary.-Concept:...
.
The
Parliament of New Zealand consists of the
Queen of New ZealandNew Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch since February 6, 1952...
and the
New Zealand House of RepresentativesThe New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
and, until 1951, the
New Zealand Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed rather than elected.-Role:...
. The House of Representatives is often referred to (incorrectly) as "Parliament".
The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of Parliament (MPs), sometimes more due to
overhang seatOverhang seats can arise in elections under the traditional mixed member proportional system, when a party is entitled to fewer seats as a result of party votes than it has won constituencies.-How overhang seats arise:...
s. MPs are directly elected by
universal suffrageUniversal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and noncitizens...
. The form of New Zealand government essentially follows the
Westminster systemThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, and the government is led by the
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
and
cabinetThe New Zealand Cabinet functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system. The Prime Minister and many Ministers of the Crown serve as members of the Cabinet....
who are chosen from amongst the members of the House of Representatives.
ParliamentThe New Zealand Parliament Buildings house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington...
is physically located in
WellingtonWellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand's third most populous urban area with residents. There are ...
, the capital city of New Zealand since 1865.
History
The Parliament was established by the British
New Zealand Constitution Act 1852The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and was the second enactment to grant the colony of New Zealand self-government, but the first to be fully implemented. The Act remained in force as part of New Zealand's unwritten constitution until it was...
which established a
bicameralIn government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses. Bicameralism is an essential and defining feature of the classical notion of mixed...
legislature.
The upper house, the
Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed rather than elected.-Role:...
, was abolished in 1951 so the legislature is now
unicameralUnicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Many countries with unicameral legislatures are often small and homogeneous unitary states and consider an upper house or second chamber unnecessary.-Concept:...
. Parliament received full control over all New Zealand affairs in 1947 with the passage of the
Statute of Westminster Adoption ActThe Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was a constitutional Act of the New Zealand Parliament that formally accepted the full external autonomy offered by the British Parliament...
, and the ability to amend its composition with the New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1947 (UK). In 1986 a new Constitution Act was passed, restating the 1852 Act's provisions and consolidating the legislation establishing Parliament.
Country Quota
One historical specialty of the New Zealand Parliament was the Country Quota, which gave greater representation to rural politics. From 1889 on (and even earlier in more informal forms), districts were weighted according to their urban/rural split (with any locality of less than 2,000 people considered rural). Those districts which had large rural proportions received a greater number of nominal votes than they actually contained voters - as an example, in 1927,
WaipawaWaipawa is the second-largest town in Central Hawke's Bay in the east of the North Island of New Zealand. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,872, a change of -2.0 percent since the 1996 census....
, a district without any urban population at all, received an additional 4,153 nominal votes to its actual 14,838 - having the maximum factor of 28% extra representation. The country quota was in effect until it was abolished in 1945 by a mostly urban-elected Labour government, which went back to a one voter, one vote system.
Sovereignty
The New Zealand Parliament is sovereign with no institution able to over-ride its decisions. The ability of Parliament to act is, legally, unimpeded. For example, the
New Zealand Bill of Rights ActThe New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 is a statute of the New Zealand Parliament setting out the rights and fundamental freedoms of the citizens of New Zealand as a Bill of rights...
is a normal piece of legislation, it is not superior law as written constitutions are in some other countries. Parliament is limited in extending its term, deciding on who can vote, how they vote (via secret ballot), how the country should be divided into electorates, and the make up of the Representation Commission which decides on these electorates. These issues require either 75% of all MPs to support the bill or a
referendumReferendums are held only occasionally by the Government of New Zealand. Ten referendums have been held so far...
on the issue. The entrenchment of these provisions was done through a normal Act of Parliament however.
New Zealand House of Representatives
The New Zealand House of Representatives has been the New Zealand Parliament's sole chamber since 1951. It is democratically elected every three years, with eighteen select committees to scrutinise legislation.
Upper house
The New Zealand Parliament does not have an
upper houseAn upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.- Possible specific characteristics :An upper house is usually distinct from the lower house in at least one of the following respects:...
; it is
unicameralUnicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Many countries with unicameral legislatures are often small and homogeneous unitary states and consider an upper house or second chamber unnecessary.-Concept:...
rather than
bicameralIn government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses. Bicameralism is an essential and defining feature of the classical notion of mixed...
. There was an upper house up to 1950, and there have been occasional suggestions to create a new one.
Legislative Council
The Legislative Council was intended to scrutinize and amend bills passed by the House of Representatives, although it could not initiate legislation or amend money bills. Despite occasional proposals for an elected Council, Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) were appointed by the Governor, generally on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. At first, MLCs were appointed for life, but a term of seven years was introduced in 1891. It was eventually decided that the Council was having no significant impact on New Zealand's legislative process, and the terms of its members expired on 31 December 1950. At the time of its abolition it had fifty-four members, including its own
SpeakerThe Speaker of the Legislative Council was the chair of New Zealand's upper house, the Legislative Council. The position corresponded roughly to that of Speaker of the House of Representatives...
.
Senate proposal
The
NationalThe New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties...
government of
Jim BolgerJames Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
proposed the establishment of an elected
SenateA senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature or parliament. There have been many such bodies in history, since senate means the assembly of the eldest and wiser members of the society and ruling class...
when it came to power in 1990, thereby reinstating a bicameral system, and a Senate Bill was drafted. Senators would be elected by
STVThe Single transferable vote is a system of preferential voting designed to minimize "wasted" votes and provide proportional representation while ensuring that votes are explicitly expressed for individual candidates rather than for party lists...
, with a number of seats being reserved for
MāoriThe Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand . The group probably arrived in southwestern Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300...
, and would have powers similar to those of the old Legislative Council. The House of Representatives would continue to be elected by FPP.
The intention was to include a question on a Senate in the second referendum on electoral reform. Voters would be asked, if they did not want a new voting system, whether or not they wanted a Senate. However, following objections from the Labour opposition, which derided it as a red herring, and other supporters of MMP, the Senate question was removed by the Select Committee on Electoral Reform, and the issue has not been pursued since.
Passage of legislation
The New Zealand Parliament's model for passing
Acts of ParliamentAn act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament....
is similar (but not identical) to that of other
Westminster SystemThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
governments.
Laws are initially proposed in Parliament as bills. They become Acts after being approved three times by Parliamentary votes and then receiving
Royal AssentThe granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. While the power to withhold Royal Assent was once exercised often, it is exceedingly rare in the modern, democratic...
from the
Governor-GeneralThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state.The Constitution Act 1986 provides that a "The Governor-General...
. The majority of bills are promulgated by the government of the day (that is, the party or parties that have a majority in Parliament). It is rare for government bills to be defeated, indeed the first to be defeated in the twentieth century was in 1998. It is also possible for individual MPs to promote their own bills, called member's bills; these are usually put forward by opposition parties, or by MPs who wish to deal with a matter that parties do not take positions on.
House of Representatives
Within the House of Representatives, bills must pass through three readings and be considered by both a Select Committee and the Committee of the Whole House.
Royal Assent
If a Bill passes its third reading, it is passed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Governor-General, who will (assuming constitutional conventions are followed) grant Royal Assent as a matter of course. Some constitutional lawyers, such as Professor Philip Joesph, believe the Governor-General does retain the power to refuse Royal Assent to Bills in exceptional circumstances - specifically if democracy is to be abolished. Others, such as former law professor and Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and
Matthew PalmerMatthew Simon Russell Palmer is a prominent New Zealand legal academic and public servant. Palmer was the Pro Vice-Chancellor , Dean of Law, and Director of the New Zealand Centre for Public Law at Victoria University of Wellington from January 2001 until June 2006. He was previously Deputy...
argue any refusal of Royal Assent would lead to a constitutional crisis. Refusal of Royal Assent has never occurred under any circumstances in New Zealand.
Once Royal Assent has been granted, the Bill then becomes law.
Terms of Parliament
Parliament is currently in its 49th term.
| Term |
Elected in |
Government |
1st ParliamentThe 1st New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 24 May 1854, following New Zealand's first general election...
|
1853 election |
No Parties |
2nd ParliamentThe 2nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 15 April 1856, following New Zealand's 1855 election. It was dissolved on 5 November 1860 in preparation for 1860 election...
|
1855 election |
No Parties |
| 3rd Parliament |
1860 election |
No Parties |
| 4th Parliament |
1866 election |
No Parties |
| 5th Parliament |
1871 election |
No Parties |
| 6th Parliament |
1875 election |
No Parties |
| 7th Parliament |
1879 election |
No Parties |
| 8th Parliament |
1881 election |
No Parties |
| 9th Parliament |
1884 election |
No Parties |
| 10th Parliament |
1887 election |
No Parties |
| 11th Parliament |
1890 election |
First LiberalThe First Liberal Government of New Zealand was the first responsible government in New Zealand politics organised along party lines. The Government formed following the founding of the Liberal Party and took office on the 24 January 1891, and governed New Zealand for over 21 years until 10 July...
|
| 12th Parliament |
1893 election |
| 13th Parliament |
1896 election |
| 14th Parliament |
1899 election |
| 15th Parliament |
1902 election |
| 16th Parliament |
1905 election |
| 17th Parliament |
1908 election |
| 18th Parliament |
1911 election |
Reform The Reform Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1912 to 1928. It is perhaps best remembered for its anti-trade union stance in the Waihi miners' strike of 1912 and a dockworkers' strike the following year...
|
| 19th Parliament The 19th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 24 June 1915, following the 1914 election. It was dissolved on 27 November 1919 in preparation for 1919 election....
|
1914 election |
| 20th Parliament |
1919 election |
| 21st Parliament |
1922 election |
| 22nd Parliament The 22nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1925 elections, and it sat until the 1928 elections....
|
1925 election |
| 23rd Parliament |
1928 election |
United |
24th ParliamentThe 24th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 23 February 1932, following the 1931 election. It was dissolved on 1 November 1935 in preparation for 1935 election...
|
1931 election |
United-Reform Coalition |
25th ParliamentThe 25th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 25 March 1936, following the 1935 election. It was dissolved on 16 September 1938 in preparation for 1938 election....
|
1935 election |
First Labour The First Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1935 to 1949. It set the tone of New Zealand's economic and welfare policies until the 1980s, establishing a welfare state, a system of Keynesian economic management, and high levels of state intervention...
|
| 26th Parliament |
1938 election |
| 27th Parliament |
1943 election |
| 28th Parliament |
1946 election |
| 29th Parliament |
1949 election |
First National The First National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1949 to 1957. It was a conservative government best remembered for its role in the 1951 waterfront dispute. It also began the repositioning of New Zealand in the cold war environment...
|
| 30th Parliament |
1951 election |
| 31st Parliament |
1954 election |
| 32nd Parliament |
1957 election |
Second Labour The Second Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1957 to 1960. It was most notable for raising taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and petrol, a move which was probably responsible for the government lasting for only one term....
|
| 33rd Parliament |
1960 election |
Second National The Second National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1960 to 1972. It was a conservative government which sought mainly to preserve the economic prosperity and general stability of the early 1960s...
|
| 34th Parliament |
1963 election |
| 35th Parliament |
1966 election |
| 36th Parliament |
1969 election |
| 37th Parliament |
1972 election |
Third Labour The Third Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1972 to 1975. Its most significant policies encouraged biculturalism and a sense of New Zealand identity, but it lacked the economic skills necessary to lead the country through a difficult economic period...
|
| 38th Parliament |
1975 election |
Third NationalThe Third National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. It was an economically and socially conservative government, which aimed to preserve the Keynesian economic system established by the First Labour government while also being socially conservative...
|
| 39th Parliament The 39th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand which began with the general election held on 25 November 1978, and finished with the general election held on 28 November 1981...
|
1978 election |
40th ParliamentThe 40th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1981 elections, and it sat until the 1984 elections....
|
1981 election |
41st ParliamentThe 41st New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1984 elections, and it sat until the 1987 elections....
|
1984 election |
Fourth LabourThe Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It enacted major social and economic reforms, including reformation of the tax system. The economic reforms were known as Rogernomics after Finance Minister Roger Douglas...
|
42nd ParliamentThe 42nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1987 elections, and it sat until the 1990 elections....
|
1987 election |
43rd ParliamentThe 43rd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1990 elections, and it sat until the 1993 elections....
|
1990 election |
Fourth National The Fourth National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 2 November 1990 to 27 November 1999. Following in the footsteps of the previous Labour government, the fourth National government embarked on an extensive programme of spending cuts...
|
| 44th Parliament The 44th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1993 elections, and it sat until the 1996 elections....
|
1993 election |
45th ParliamentThe 45th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1996 elections, and it sat until the 1999 elections....
|
1996 election |
Fourth National (in coalition) |
46th ParliamentThe 46th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1999 elections, and it sat until the 2002 elections....
|
1999 election |
Fifth Labour (in coalition) The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand between 5 December 1999 and 8 November 2008.-Overview:The fourth National government, in power since 1990, was widely unpopular by 1999, with much of the public antagonised by a series of free-market economic reforms, and...
|
47th ParliamentThe 47th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 2002 elections, and it sat until 11 August 2005....
|
2002 election |
| 48th Parliament The 48th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined at a general election held on 17 September 2005. The new parliament met for the first time on 7 November 2005...
|
2005 election |
| 49th Parliament The 49th New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2008 election. It consists of 122 members, including an overhang of two seats caused by the Māori Party having won two more electorate seats than its share of the party vote would otherwise have given it. The Parliament will serve from 2008 until...
|
2008 election |
Fifth National (in coalition) The Fifth National Government of New Zealand is the current government of New Zealand. It is led by Prime Minister John Key.After the 2008 general election the National Party and its allies were able to form a government, taking over from Helen Clark's Fifth Labour Government. The National party...
|
See also
- New Zealand Parliament Buildings
The New Zealand Parliament Buildings house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington...
- Constitution of New Zealand
The constitution of New Zealand consists of a collection of statutes , Treaties, Orders-in-Council, Letters patent, decisions of the Courts and unwritten constitutional conventions. There is no one supreme document — the New Zealand constitution is not codified or entrenched...
- Independence of New Zealand
The independence of New Zealand is a matter of continued academic and social debate. New Zealand has no fixed date of independence, instead independence came about as a result of New Zealand's evolving constitutional status. New Zealand evolved as one of the British Dominions, colonies within the...
External links