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New Zealand: Government
SYSTEM OF DEMOCRACY
Overview of New Zealand Political Scene
New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. The only body which can make laws is the elected House of Representatives. New Zealand is also an independent, democratic nation with a popularly elected parliament and a stable social and political environmentThe country is a former colony of England, and Queen Elizabeth II remains the constitutional head of state, but has no active role in governing the country. The Queen is represented in New Zealand by the Governor General, whose duties are mainly ceremonial.
Elections are held every three years and all New Zealand citizens over 18 can vote. Maori New Zealanders may vote as part of the general electorate, or in one of the specially allocated Maori seats.
The two major political parties have been the Labour Party on the left and the National Party on the right. In 1993, the country voted for a new electoral system, a form of proportional representation known as MMP (Mixed Member Proportional). This increased the importance of a wider range of parties, and means governments are likely to be formed by a coalition of parties.
Civil groups and interested individuals participate in New Zealand’s open system of government through parliamentary committees or direct contact with Members of Parliament. The judiciary and officials in the public service are appointed independently from the political process. New Zealand consistently ranks as one of the world’s most transparent and least corrupt societies.
Executive Branch
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 06, 1952),
represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since August 23, 2006)
Head of Government
Prime Minister John KEY (since November 19, 2008)
Deputy Prime Minister Bill ENGLISH (since November 19, 2008)
Cabinet
Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Elections
The monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general.
Legislative Branch
2008 General Election
The size of Parliament makes up of 122 seats, an increase of two seats over the normal 120 seats. The additional seats are because the Māori Party won more electorate seats (five seats) than its entitlement under the party vote (three seats).
*includes informal votes.The results are calculated using the St Lague formula.
Judicial Branch
The highest court in New Zealand is the Supreme Court of New Zealand and the judges are appointed by the governor general. The three principal sources of New Zealand laws are English common law, statutes of the United Kingdom Parliament enacted before 1947, and statutes of New Zealand Parliament.
New Zealand Government Agencies Directory
In the recent years, a directory of New Zealand government agencies and a search engine of New Zealand government websites has been developed. The directory also includes information on immigration, tourism, laws and justice, business, finance and tax which are all accessible through a single portal. The directory is available at http://newzealand.govt.nz/
Parliament House, Wellington, New Zealand
Overview of New Zealand Political Scene
New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. The only body which can make laws is the elected House of Representatives. New Zealand is also an independent, democratic nation with a popularly elected parliament and a stable social and political environmentThe country is a former colony of England, and Queen Elizabeth II remains the constitutional head of state, but has no active role in governing the country. The Queen is represented in New Zealand by the Governor General, whose duties are mainly ceremonial.
Elections are held every three years and all New Zealand citizens over 18 can vote. Maori New Zealanders may vote as part of the general electorate, or in one of the specially allocated Maori seats.
The two major political parties have been the Labour Party on the left and the National Party on the right. In 1993, the country voted for a new electoral system, a form of proportional representation known as MMP (Mixed Member Proportional). This increased the importance of a wider range of parties, and means governments are likely to be formed by a coalition of parties.
Civil groups and interested individuals participate in New Zealand’s open system of government through parliamentary committees or direct contact with Members of Parliament. The judiciary and officials in the public service are appointed independently from the political process. New Zealand consistently ranks as one of the world’s most transparent and least corrupt societies.
Executive Branch
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 06, 1952),
represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since August 23, 2006)
Head of Government
Prime Minister John KEY (since November 19, 2008)
Deputy Prime Minister Bill ENGLISH (since November 19, 2008)
Cabinet
Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Elections
The monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general.
Legislative Branch
2008 General Election
The size of Parliament makes up of 122 seats, an increase of two seats over the normal 120 seats. The additional seats are because the Māori Party won more electorate seats (five seats) than its entitlement under the party vote (three seats).
| Total Votes Counted: | 2,356,536* | ||||
| Party | Party Votes | % Votes | Electorate Seats | List Seats | Total Seats |
| National Party | 1,053,398 | 44.93 | 41 | 17 | 58 |
| Labour Party | 796,880 | 33.99 | 21 | 22 | 43 |
| Green Party | 157,613 | 6.72 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| ACT New Zealand | 85,496 | 3.65 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Māori Party | 55,980 | 2.39 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Jim Anderton's Progressive | 21,241 | 0.91 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| United Future | 20,497 | 0.87 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New ZealandFirst Party | 95,356 | 4.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Bill and Ben Party | 13,016 | 0.56 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kiwi Party | 12,755 | 0.54 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party | 9,515 | 0.41 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New ZealandPacific Party | 8,640 | 0.37 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Family Party | 8,176 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alliance | 1,909 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrats for Social Credit | 1,208 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Libertarianz | 1,176 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Workers Party | 932 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RAM - Residents Action Movement | 465 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Republic of New Zealand Party | 313 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 70 | 52 | 122 | ||
Judicial Branch
The highest court in New Zealand is the Supreme Court of New Zealand and the judges are appointed by the governor general. The three principal sources of New Zealand laws are English common law, statutes of the United Kingdom Parliament enacted before 1947, and statutes of New Zealand Parliament.
New Zealand Government Agencies Directory
In the recent years, a directory of New Zealand government agencies and a search engine of New Zealand government websites has been developed. The directory also includes information on immigration, tourism, laws and justice, business, finance and tax which are all accessible through a single portal. The directory is available at http://newzealand.govt.nz/
Parliament House, Wellington, New Zealand
References
Central Integllience Agency. (2010) The World Factbook - New Zealand. Retrieved on March 14, 2010, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html
Elections New Zealand.(2010). New Zealand General Election 2008 - Official Results. Retrieved on March 13, 2010, from http://www.elections.org.nz/news/2008-election-official-results.html
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Latest page update: made by leongseekfong
, Mar 24 2010, 6:30 AM EDT
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