parliament

The House of Representatives

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  New Zealand's Parliament dates back to 1854, just 14 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the beginning of the European settlement of the country. For most of its history as a nation state, New Zealand has had some form of elected government.

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• Page 2 – Quick history

  New Zealand's Parliament has been making laws, scrutinising the government and representing New Zealanders for over 150 years.

• Page 3 – Parliament

  Today there are two parts to Parliament – the House of Representatives (or the Lower House) and the Governor-General, but between 1854 and 1951 there was a third part,

• Page 4 – Doing business

  The operation of Parliament has changed over time as its workload has grown and new systems such as MMP have been implemented.

• Page 6 – First sitting, 1854

  It started with a bang – 21 in fact, fired from the guns at Auckland's Fort Britomart. As soon as the smoke had cleared, New Zealand's first Parliament was under way.

• Page 5 – The Opposition

  The Opposition uses a variety of tactics to hold the government to account.

• Page 7 – The Speaker

  The Speaker, who is elected by MPs, has a key role in representing the House to the Crown and in presiding over the House.

• Page 8 – Useful terms

  Glossary of terms used in Parliament

• Page 9 – Milestones

  Timeline of key events in New Zealand's parliamentary history

• Page 10 – Further information

  This web feature was written by John E. Martin and produced by the NZHistory.net.nz team.LinksPolitical participation (Te Ara)BooksMartin, John E.

Parliament's people

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  Today there are usually between 120 and 123 MPs in New Zealand's Parliament, which is a far cry from the 37 who met for the first time in Auckland in 1854.

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• Page 2 – Women MPs

  For much of its first century, Parliament was a bastion of male culture. Nowadays women make up 30% of MPs.

• Page 4 – Pay and travel

  One of the early issues parliamentarians discussed was pay for MPs, and one of the biggest difficulties MPs faced in the early years was travelling to Parliament.

• Page 5 – Social life

  In the early years, Parliament was a little like a superior gentlemen's club.

• Page 6 – Staff

  New Zealand's early politicians encouraged Parliament to adopt the traditions of the British Parliament so that New Zealand's Parliament would be invested with great

• Page 7 – Spectators

  Aside from its constitutional functions, Parliament has also provided a spectacle for members of the public.

• Page 8 – Reporting and broadcasting

  The reporting of Parliament has always been an important part of the parliamentary story.

• Page 9 – Biographies

  Some of the key figures in New Zealand parliamentary history

• Page 10 – Further information

  This web feature was written by John E. Martin and produced by the NZHistory.net.nz team.LinksParliament (Te Ara)BooksMartin, John E.

Parliament's culture and traditions

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  Explore Parliament's rich history and its colourful culture and traditions.

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• Page 2 – Parliament in cartoons

  For centuries, politics and Parliament have been the subject of public comment, satire and humour. Almost since the beginning, New Zealand's Parliament has been portrayed

• Page 3 – Parliament in postcards

  Painters and photographers loved to capture the beauty of Parliament's buildings in postcards, and New Zealanders and visitors sent these to friends and family in new Zealand

• Page 4 – Westminster traditions

  Many parliaments take a lead from Britain's ancient House of Commons, and New Zealand, too, followed the traditions in the home country.

• Page 5 – Bad language

  In the cut and thrust of Parliament's Debating Chamber, there are rules about what can and cannot be said.

• Page 6 – Parliament in te reo

  Te reo (the Māori language) came into Parliament with the first Māori MPs, elected in 1868.

• Page 8 – Further information

  This web feature was written by John E.

Māori and the vote

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  Between April and June 1868 the first four Māori MPs were elected to New Zealand's Parliament. Despite ongoing debate, the Māori seats remain a distinctive feature of this country's electoral landscape almost 150 years later.

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• Page 1 - Māori and the voteBetween April and June 1868 the first four Māori MPs were elected to New Zealand's Parliament. Despite ongoing debate, the Māori seats remain a distinctive feature of this

Political and constitutional timeline

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  Pivotal political and constitutional events with links to further information

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• Page 1 - Political and constitutional timelinePivotal political and constitutional events with links to further

History of the Governor-General

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  New Zealand has had a governor or (from 1917) a governor-general since 1840. The work of these men and women has reflected the constitutional and political history of New Zealand in many ways.

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• Page 2 - Modern dutiesThe governor-general's duties are divided into three functions: ceremonial, community and