New Zealand

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of New Zealand Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_New_Zealand. ... Politics of New Zealand takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. ...

Constitution Executive Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II Governor-General Hon. Anand Satyanand Executive Council Cabinet Prime Minister Rt Hon. Helen Clark Legislative Parliament House of Representatives Speaker of the House Official Opposition Leader of the Opposition Elections Electoral system Electorates Referendums Judicial Supreme Court Chief Justice Court of Appeal High Court Regional authorities Territorial authorities Unitary authority Politicians Political parties Political topics Māori politics Foreign relations

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Electoral Reform in New Zealand has, in recent years, become a political issue as major changes have been made to both Parliamentary and local government elections. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch, since February 6, 1952. ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand (currently, Queen Elizabeth II). ... Anand Satyanand with Dame Silvia Cartwright Wikinews has news related to: New Governor-General of New Zealand announced Anand Satch[1] Satyanand, PCNZM (born 22 July 1944 in Auckland) is the Governor-General of New Zealand. ... The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which provides the formal basis for the Cabinet. ... The New Zealand Cabinet functions as the policy and decision-making body of New Zealand governments executive branch. ... The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ... For other persons named Helen Clark, see Helen Clark (disambiguation). ... A legislature is a type of deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. ... The New Zealand House of Representatives is the legislature of New Zealand. ... In New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the countrys legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives (often also referred to as Parliament). The Speaker fulfils a number of important functions in relation to the operation the House, which is based... The Official Opposition in New Zealand is usually the largest political party or coalition which is not a member of the ruling government. ... The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, leads the Opposition bloc in the New Zealand Parliament. ... Members of New Zealands House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament, normally gain their seats in nationwide general elections, or (less frequently) in by-elections. ... In New Zealand, an electorate is a voting district for Parliamentary elections. ... Referendums (or referenda) are held only occasionally by the government of New Zealand. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In law, the judiciary or judicial is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... The Supreme Court of New Zealand is the highest court of appeal in New Zealand, having formally come into existence at the beginning of 2004, and sitting for the first time on 1 July 2004. ... The Chief Justice of New Zealand is the senior judge of the High Court of New Zealand, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. ... The Court of Appeal of New Zealand, located in Wellington, is New Zealand’s principal intermediate appellate court. ... The High Court of New Zealand was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court until 1980. ... Region is the formal term for the top tier of local government in New Zealand. ... Territorial authorities is the formal term for the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... The following is a list of New Zealand politicians, both past and present. ... New Zealand national politics feature a pervasive party system. ... This page lists a number of articles relating to issues, ideas, and events in New Zealand politics. ... Apirana Ngata, perhaps the most prominent Maori politician Māori politics is the politics of the Māori people, who were the original inhabitants of New Zealand and who are now the countrys largest minority. ... New Zealand’s foreign policy is oriented chiefly toward developed democratic nations and emerging Pacific economies. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Electoral reform projects seek to change the way that public desires are reflected in elections through electoral systems. ... The New Zealand Parliament is the legislative body of the New Zealand government. ...

Parliamentary Electoral Reform

A pro-MMP poster [1]

All New Zealand elections from 1914 to 1996 consistently used the British system of 'first past the post' (FPP) for parliamentary elections (bloc voting and runoff voting were also used in some elections before 1914) . This system had consistently favoured the two largest parties, since 1936 being National and Labour. Indeed, the system distorted electoral results, such as in 1978 and 1981, when National won more seats even though Labour had won more votes. Both parties would focus their efforts on marginal electoral seats, and 'safe' seats with large working class or farming populations were taken for granted. Image File history File links Mmp-poster. ... Image File history File links Mmp-poster. ... Members of New Zealands House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament, normally gain their seats in nationwide general elections, or (less frequently) in by-elections. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The plurality voting system, also known as first past the post, is a voting system used to elect a single winner in a given election. ... Bloc voting (or block voting) (also called Plurality-at-large) refers to a class of voting systems which can be used to elect several representatives from a single constituency. ... An example of runoff voting. ... The New Zealand National Party (National or the Nats) currently forms the second-largest (in terms of seats) political party represented in the New Zealand Parliament, and thus functions as the core of the parliamentary Opposition. ... The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. ... The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1981 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ...

In 1984, Labour was elected to power. Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer, also Minister of Justice, established the Royal Commission on the Electoral System in 1985. The Royal Commission's report, in 1986, entitled Towards a Better Democracy recommended the adoption of Mixed Member Proportional. The report was, initially, largely ignored outside of academic circles. The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer, KCMG, AC, PC, (born 21 April 1942), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from August 1989 until September 1990, leading the Labour Party. ... The Royal Commission on the Electoral System was formed in New Zealand in 1985, and reported in 1986. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system where some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ...

At the 1987 election, Prime Minister David Lange promised to hold a referendum on changing to MMP at, or before, the next election. None was held, and thus at the 1990 election, National (under Jim Bolger) promised to hold a referendum before the 1993 election. The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... David Russell Lange (IPA: lɔŋi) CH, ONZ (4 August 1942 — 13 August 2005), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. ... The 1990 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 43rd term. ... The Right Honourable James Brendan Jim Bolger, ONZ, (born 31 May 1935) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. ... The 1993 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ...

In 1992, a non-binding poll was held on whether or not FPP should be replaced by a new, more proportional voting system. Voters were asked two questions: whether or not to replace FPP with a new voting system; and which system should be adopted instead. A second, binding, referendum was to be held the following year, in which voters would choose between FPP and the new system chosen to replace it. Voters favouring a new system could choose between the following: 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

• Mixed Member Proportional (MMP); also known as the Additional Member System used in Germany, Scotland, and Wales; in which roughly half of the seats are elected by FPP; and the remainder are filled from party lists; to ensure a proportional overall result;
• Single Transferable Vote (STV); used in Ireland and Tasmania; in which the country is divided into multimember constituencies; and voters rank candidates in declining order of preference;
• Supplementary Member system (SM); used in Russia and (previously in) Italy; similar to MMP; but with proportional representation only used for seats filled by lists; and a larger proportion of seats elected by FPP.
• Alternative Vote; used in Australia and Fiji elections; similar to FPP but with voters ranking candidates in declining order of preference.

The result was in 84.5 per cent favour of replacing FPP, with an overwhelming majority of those favouring a new electoral system voting for MMP. The percentages of the vote cast for the four possible electoral system options offered in the second question were: The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system where some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system in which some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... This article is about the country. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ... Capital Hobart Government Const. ... Parallel voting describes a mixed voting system where voters in effect participate in two separate elections using different systems, and where the results in one election have little or no impact on the results of the other. ... When the single transferable vote voting system is applied to a single-winner election it is sometimes called instant-runoff voting (IRV), as it is much like holding a series of runoff elections in which the lowest polling candidate is eliminated in each round until someone receives majority vote. ...

Supplementary Member 5.5% Single Transferable Vote 17.5% Mixed Member Proportional 70.3% Alternative Vote 6.6%

The second, binding, referendum was held at the same time as the 1993 election, and favoured MMP. The first election using MMP was held in 1996. Details of MMP in New Zealand can be found at Electoral system of New Zealand. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... In 1993 New Zealand adopted Mixed Member Proportional as its electoral system after many years of first-past-the-post. ...

National and Labour have thus lost their dominance in the House. Neither has yet been able to hold a majority within the House. Instead, MMP has introduced New Zealand to coalition governments. Indeed, since 1998 there have been minority coalition governments relying on supply and confidence from parties outside of government.

Prior to the switch to MMP, New Zealand largely had a two party system, with government interchanging between Labour and National since 1935. With the introduction of MMP, there has been a widening of political parties represented within the House. After the 1996 election, there were seven political parties, and with the creation of the Māori Party in 2004, there became eight parties. The number of political parties is expected to fall as happened in Germany after their adoption of MMP. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... The 1996 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand based around Māori citizens, formed around Tariana Turia, a former Labour Party member who had been a New Zealand Cabinet minister in the current Labour-dominated coalition government. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The transition to MMP has caused disproportionality to fall. The Gallagher Index (or least squares) can be used to measure the disproportionality of electoral systems, in particular majoritarian systems. ...

(source: Jonathan Boston, Stephen Church, Stephen Levine, Elizabeth McLeay and Nigel Roberts, New Zealand Votes: The General Election of 2002 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2003) [2]

Local Government Elections

Up until the 2004 local body elections, all territorial authorities were elected using the bloc vote (although often referred to as first-past-the-post). In 2004, at the discretion of the council, they could use the single transferable vote. All regional authorities must still use FPP. All District Health Boards must use STV. Introduction North Island Northland Regional Council Far North District Council Whangarei District Council Kaipara District Council Auckland Regional Council Rodney District Council Auckland City Council North Shore City Council Waitakere City Council Manukau City Council Papakura District Council Franklin District Council (part) Waikato Regional Council (Environment Waikato) Thames-Coromandel District... Territorial authorities is the formal term for the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. ... Bloc voting (or block voting) (also called Plurality-at-large) refers to a class of voting systems which can be used to elect several representatives from a single constituency. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ... Region is the formal term for the top tier of local government in New Zealand. ... District Health Boards are health management units accountable to the Ministry of Health. ...

See also

• Constitution of New Zealand
• Elections in New Zealand
• Electoral system of New Zealand

New Zealand general elections v • d • e

1853 | 1855 | 1860 | 1866 | 1871 | 1875 | 1879 | 1881 | 1884 | 1887 | 1890 | 1893 | 1896 | 1899 | 1902 | 1905 | 1908 | 1911 | 1914 | 1919 | 1922 | 1925 | 1928 | 1931 | 1935 | 1938 | 1943 | 1946 | 1949 | 1951 | 1954 | 1957 | 1960 | 1963 | 1966 | 1969 | 1972 | 1975 | 1978 | 1981 | 1984 | 1987 | 1990 | 1993 | 1996 | 1999 | 2002 | 2005 | 2008

New Zealand referendums

Alcohol licensing, 1896-1987 | Gambling, 1949 | Military training, 1949 | Pub closing time and alcohol licensing, 1949 | Pub closing time and parliamentary term, 1967 | Parliamentary term, 1990 | Voting method, 1992 | Voting method, 1993 | Firefighters, 1995 | Pensions, 1997 | Justice and MP reduction, 1999

New Zealand by-elections

The Treaty of Waitangi is an increasingly important source of constitutional law in New Zealand The constitution of New Zealand consists of a collection of statutes (Acts of Parliament), Treaties, Orders-in-Council, Letters patent, decisions of the Courts and unwritten constitutional conventions. ... New Zealands House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament, is chosen by nationwide election. ... In 1993 New Zealand adopted Mixed Member Proportional as its electoral system after many years of first-past-the-post. ... New Zealands House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament, is chosen by nationwide election. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... The 1853 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 1st term. ... The 1855 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 2nd term. ... The New Zealand general election of 1860 was held between December 12 and March 28 to elect 53 MPs to the third session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1866 was held between February 12 and April 6 to elect 70 MPs to the fourth session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1871 was held between January 14 and February 1 to elect 78 MPs to the fifth session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1875 was held between December 29 and January 4 (1876) to elect a total of 88 MPs to the 6th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1879 was held between August 15 and September 1 to elect a total of 88 MPs to the 7th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held December 9 to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1884 was held July 22 to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 9th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1887 was held July 22 to elect 95 MPs to the ninth session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1890 was held on December 5 to elect 74 MPs to the 11th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1893 was held November 28 to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 12th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1896 was held December 4 to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1899 was held December 6 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1902 was held November 25 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 15th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1905 was held December 6 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 16th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1908 was held November 17, November 24 and December 1 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 17th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1911 was held December 7 and December 14 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 18th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1914 was held December 10 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 19th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1919 was held December 17 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 20th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1922 was held December 7 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 21st session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1925 was held November 4 to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 22nd session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand general election of 1928 was held on November 14 to elect 80 MPs to the 23rd session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 24th term. ... The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 25th term. ... The 1938 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 26th term. ... The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 27th term. ... The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 28th term. ... The 1949 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 29th term. ... The 1951 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 30th term. ... The 1954 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 31st term. ... The 1957 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 32nd term. ... The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 33rd term. ... The 1963 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 34th term. ... The 1966 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 35th term. ... The final results of the New Zealand General Election 1969 were 45 seats won by the National Party, and 39 seats won by the Labour Party, with no minor parties winning any seats. ... The New Zealand general election of 1972 was held to elect MPs to the 37th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1975 New Zealand general election was held to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1981 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1990 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 43rd term. ... The 1993 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1996 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 1999 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 46th session of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The 2002 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. ... Wikinews has news related to: Results of the 2005 New Zealand General Election The 2005 New Zealand general election took place on 17 September 2005 and determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. ... The next New Zealand general election is expected to take place in late 2008, and must be held no later than 15 November 2008. ... Referendums (or referenda) are held only occasionally by the government of New Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Electoral Reform in New Zealand has, in recent years, become a political issue as major changes have been made to both Parliamentary and local government elections. ... Electoral Reform in New Zealand has, in recent years, become a political issue as major changes have been made to both Parliamentary and local government elections. ... By-elections in New Zealand occur to fill vacant seats in the New Zealand Parliament. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ...

External links

• Elections New Zealand History of the Vote: From FPP to MMP
• Electoral Reform Coalition
• New Zealand's Change to MMP by Paul Harris
• NEW ZEALAND: A Long-Established Westminster Democracy Switches to PR by Nigel S. Roberts