The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which provides the formal basis for the Cabinet. It has a function similar to that served by the Privy Council in the United Kingdom. The authority for its existence is provided by the Royal Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand, sections VII through X. An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system exercizes executive power and is the top tier of a government led by a Governor-General, Governor, Lieutenant-Governor or Administrator (all governors). Until the advent of responsible government, Executive Councils existed primarily to advise the governor of... The New Zealand Cabinet is, in practice, the highest body of the New Zealand governments executive branch. ... A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, especially in a monarchy. ...

Officially, the Executive Council exists to advise the Governor-General; it was the counterpart to the Legislative Council, the now-defunct upper house of the New Zealand Parliament. To be an Executive Councillor, one must normally be a Member of Parliament (this was codified in the Constitution Act of 1986). However, one may serve up to thirty days without being an MP; this is to allow for the transition of members not yet sworn in and members who have retired or been defeated. Flag of the Governor General of New Zealand The Governor-General of New Zealand is the local representative of the Queen of New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II, and as such is the highest office in the Government of New Zealand. ... The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. ... The New Zealand Parliament is the legislative body of the New Zealand government. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Members of the Executive Council are Ministers of the Crown. This is not equivalent to being a Cabinet Minister. It merely gives them the authority to exercise executive power. Most members of the Executive Council are Cabinet Ministers, but some are appointed as so-called Ministers Outside Cabinet, who traditionally hold minor portfolios or serve as Associate Ministers to Cabinet Ministers. A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... The Crown is a term which is used to separate the government authority and property of the state in a kingdom from any personal influence and private assets held by the current Monarch. ... Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... Finance Main article portfolio (finance) In finance, a portfolio is a collection of investments held by an institution or a private individual. ...

The Executive Council's primary function is to issue regulations, which operate under the authority of "the Governor-General in Council". Any three members of the Executive Council, not necessarily including the Governor-General, constitutes a quorum.

External links

• Information on the Executive Council in the New Zealand Cabinet Manual.