The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed rather than elected. Photo of the New Zealand Legislative Council Chamber. ... A Legislative Council in British constitutional thought is the second-to-top tier of a government led by a Governor-General, Governor or a Lieutenant-Governor, inferior to an Executive Council and equal to or superior to a Legislative Assembly. ... An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ... The New Zealand Parliament is the legislative body of the New Zealand government. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. ...

Role

The Legislative Council was intended to act as a revising chamber, scrutinizing and amending bills which had been passed by the House of Representatives. It could not initiate bills, and was prohibited from amending money bills (pieces of legislation relating to finance and expenditure). The model for the Legislative Council's role was the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. A money bill is a bill that solely concerns taxation or government spending, as opposed to changes in public law. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

Membership

Appointment and tenure

The Constitution Act 1852 provided for councillors to be appointed for life terms by the Governor. As the power of the Governor over New Zealand politics gradually decreased, it became the convention that appointments were made on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, essentially meaning that councillors were selected by the government of the day. 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 Prime Minister of New Zealand is most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand. ...

However, the life term of councillors meant that the Legislative Council always lagged behind the House of Representatives — Prime Ministers were frequently hampered in their activities by a Legislative Council appointed by their predecessors. In 1891, life membership was replaced by a seven-year term by the new Liberal Party government of John Ballance. Part of the Liberal Party's motivation was probably ideological, but part was undoubtedly political — Ballance's conservative predecessor, Harry Atkinson, had stacked the council with conservatives shortly before leaving office. Ballance had considerable difficulty in achieving his reform of the Council, with major clashes occurring between him and the Governor — Ballance's victory is seen as establishing an important precedent in the relationship between Governor and Prime Minister. 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the original New Zealand Liberal Party. ... John Ballance (March 27, 1839 - 27 April 1893), served as Premier of New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, and was the founder of the Liberal Party (the countrys first organized political party). ... Harry Albert Atkinson served as Premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century. ...

The structure of the Legislative Council was therefore similar to that of the Canadian Senate, which continues as an appointed upper house, although senators are appointed to life terms, and must retire at the age of 75. The Senate (French: Sénat) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, which also includes the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the House of Commons. ...

Number of members

It was specified in the Constitution Act 1852 that the Council would consist of at least ten members. Although not actually a part of the Act, instructions were issued that the number of members should not exceed fifteen. One member was to be selected as Speaker of the Legislative Council, corresponding roughly to the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. A quorum of five members was established. The first appointments to the Legislative Council were made in 1853, when thirteen members took their seats. Gradually, the maximum number of members was raised, and the limit was eventually abolished. The Council would eventually reach a peak of fifty-four members. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, in New Zealand, refers to the individual who chairs the countrys legislative body, technically known as the House of Representatives; but more generally known as Parliament. ... This article deals with the legal definition of quorum. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Extent of representation

The Legislative Council was generally less representative of the New Zealand public than was the House of Representatives. Women were not eligible to serve as councillors until 1941, and only five women were ever appointed. The first took their seats in 1946. Maori were slightly better represented — the first Maori councillors were appointed in 1872, not long after the creation of the Maori seats in the House, and a convention was established that there should always be Maori representation on the Council. 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For most of the time since the establishment of Westminster-style Parliamentary Government in New Zealand, the Maori inhabitants have had allotted to them specific seats in the New Zealand Parliament. ...

Proposals for election

A number of proposals were made that the Legislative Council should be elected, not appointed. When responsible government had been granted at the beginning of the 2nd Parliament, the Governor, Thomas Gore Browne, was given sufficient authority to make the Legislative Council elective, but no action was taken. In 1914, a proposal implement proportional representation for the Council was made, but lapsed due to World War I. Responsible government is a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ... The 2nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand. ... Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne (July 3, 1807- April 17, 1887) was a Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Proportional representation (PR) is any of various multi-winner electoral systems which try to ensure that the proportional support gained by different groups is accurately reflected in the election result. ... Missing image Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Abolition

By the middle of the 20th century, the Legislative Council was increasingly being looked on as ineffectual and making little difference to the legislative process. The Legislative Council rarely criticised bills sent to it by the House, and many believed that it was now obsolete. Some favoured its reform, while others favoured its abolition. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

In 1950, Sidney Holland's National government passed a bill to abolish it, assisted by specially-appointed councillors known as the 'suicide squad'. To encourage co-operation from the Council, Holland also promised to use the money saved through abolition to set up a fund for retired members. A Statutes Revision Committee (now defunct) was established to carry out some of the scrutiny that the Legislative Council had been intended for. Although abolition was intended as an interim measure, no serious attempts were made to introduce a new second chamber, and the House of Representatives has been unicameral since. 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Sidney George Holland (1893-1961) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1949 to 1957. ... Current National Party logo The New Zealand National Party is the second largest political party in the New Zealand Parliament, and forms the core of the Opposition. ...

Unicameralists in New Zealand, like former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer, argued that the country is a small and relatively homogeneous unitary state, and hence does not need the same arrangements as federal countries like Australia, although many smaller countries have retained bicameral systems. In addition, other political reforms in New Zealand such as the strengthening of the Select Committee system and the introduction of proportional representation are seen to provide adequate checks and balances. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... For the British actor, see Geoffrey Palmer (actor) For the English lawyer, see Geoffrey Palmer (attorney) The Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer, AC, KCMG (born 21 April 1942), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from August 1989 until September 1990, leading the Labour Party. ... A unitary state is a state or country that is governed constitutionally as one single unit, with one constitutionally created legislature. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Proportional representation (PR) is any of various multi-winner electoral systems which try to ensure that the proportional support gained by different groups is accurately reflected in the election result. ...

Support for bicameralism is not completely absent, however, and there have been occasional proposals for a new upper house. The most recent was Jim Bolger's 1990 proposal for an elected Senate, an idea advanced partly as an alternative to New Zealand's electoral reform process. In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The Right Honourable James Brendan Jim Bolger (born 31 May 1935) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New Zealand Parliament is the legislative body of the New Zealand government. ... Until 1996, New Zealand used the British system of first past the post (FPP) for parliamentary elections . ...

Today, the Legislative Council Chamber is still used for the Speech from the Throne, as following the British tradition, the Sovereign may not enter the elected House. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod summons the House of Representatives to attend the State Opening of Parliament in the Legislative Council Chamber, where the Speech is read usually by the Governor-General. It is also used for some Select Committee meetings, as well as meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and other official functions. Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands reads her countrys Speech from the Throne Queen Elizabeth II reads Canadas Speech from the Throne in 1977 The Speech from the Throne, sometimes referred to by the shorter term Throne Speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the monarch (or... The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official of a figure in the parliaments of a number of Commonwealth countries. ... In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the commencement of a session of Parliament. ... A Select Committee of the British Parliament is a committee made up of a small number of members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues. ... The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organization, of British origin, which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights. ...