New Zealand Parliament

New Zealand Parliament Pāremata Aotearoa
54th Parliament
Type
Type	Unicameral
Houses	House of Representatives
Sovereign	King of New Zealand
History
Founded	24 May 1854 (1854-05-24) (first sitting)[1]
Leadership
Monarch	Charles III since 8 September 2022
Governor-General	Dame Cindy Kiro since 21 October 2021
Speaker	Gerry Brownlee, National Party since 5 December 2023
Deputy Speaker	Barbara Kuriger, National Party since 6 December 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon, National Party since 27 November 2023
Leader of the House	Chris Bishop, National Party since 27 November 2023
Leader of the Opposition	Chris Hipkins, Labour since 27 November 2023
Shadow Leader of the House	Kieran McAnulty, Labour since 30 November 2023
Structure
Seats	123
House political groups	Government (68)   National (49)   ACT (11)   NZ First (8) Official Opposition (34)   Labour (34) Crossbench (21)   Green (15)   Māori (6)
Length of term	Up to three years
Elections
House voting system	Mixed-member proportional representation
Last House election	14 October 2023
Meeting place
Parliament House, Wellington
Website
www.parliament.nz

Politics of New Zealand
Constitution
The Crown Monarch King Charles III Governor-General (list) Cindy Kiro Realm of New Zealand
Executive Government List of governments (current) Cabinet Ministers Prime Minister (list) Christopher Luxon Executive Council State services departments
Legislature 54th New Zealand Parliament King-in-Parliament House of Representatives Speaker: Gerry Brownlee Official Opposition
Elections Political parties Electorates Electoral system Electoral reform Electoral Commission Recent elections: General: 2014 2017 2020 2023 Local: 2013 2016 2019 2022 Referendums Political funding and election expenses
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: Helen Winkelmann Court of Appeal President: Mark Cooper High Court District Court Other courts: Employment Environment Courts Martial Appeal Māori Land Waitangi Tribunal Law of New Zealand
Local government Regions Territorial authorities Mayors Community boards
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister: Winston Peters Diplomatic missions of / in New Zealand Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy New Zealand and the United Nations
Ideology Anarchism Christian Conservatism Environmentalism Fascism Feminism Liberalism Populism Republicanism Socialism
History Political history of New Zealand History of voting in New Zealand
Related topics Māori politics Nuclear-free zone
New Zealand portal Other countries
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The New Zealand Parliament (Māori: Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the Sovereign (King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by his governor-general.^[2] Before 1951, there was an upper chamber, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The New Zealand Parliament was established in 1854 and is one of the oldest continuously functioning legislatures in the world.^[3] It has met in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, since 1865 and in its current building since 1922.

The House of Representatives normally consists of 120 members of Parliament (MPs), though sometimes more due to overhang seats. There are 72 MPs elected directly in electorates while the remainder of seats are assigned to list MPs based on each party's share of the total party vote. Māori were represented in Parliament from 1867, and in 1893 women gained the vote.^[3] Although elections can be called early, every three years Parliament is dissolved and goes up for reelection.

Parliament is supreme over all other government institutions. The legislature is closely linked to the executive. The New Zealand Government comprises a prime minister (head of government) and other ministers; in accordance with the principle of responsible government, they are always selected from and accountable to the House of Representatives.

Neither the monarch (currently King Charles III) nor his governor-general participates in the legislative process, save for signifying the King's approval to a bill passed by the House, known as the granting of the Royal Assent, which is necessary for a bill to be enacted as law. The governor-general formally summons and dissolves Parliament—the latter in order to call a general election.