New Zealand

A

Executive

New Zealand recognizes the British monarch as its sovereign, or formal head of state. The monarch is represented in New Zealand by a governor-general. This official is appointed by the monarch on the prime minister’s recommendation to a five-year term. After national elections, the governor-general appoints the leader of the majority party in the legislature as prime minister and arranges for the prime minister to form a government, or cabinet of ministers. The governor-general formally appoints the ministers on the prime minister’s recommendation. The governor-general must also give assent for parliamentary bills to become law. These duties are mostly ceremonial, and the governor-general exercises little real power in New Zealand.

The prime minister heads the cabinet, which is the highest policy-making body of government. The cabinet is responsible for the day-to-day administration of government, and ministers have responsibility for specific areas of policy. Ministers also convene in the Executive Council, a body that advises the governor-general. Constitutional convention requires the governor-general to follow the council’s recommendations.

B

Legislature

The legislature, or Parliament, is composed of one chamber, the House of Representatives. Parliament is vested with the power to make laws. The House of Representatives is composed of 122 members, who have been elected since 1996 according to what is known as the mixed-member proportional (MMP) system. In this system, half of the members are elected from voting districts (including six seats reserved for Maori representatives) and half are elected from party lists based on a party’s share of the vote in national elections. Legislative elections must be held at least every three years.

Voter registration is compulsory in New Zealand, but voting is voluntary. Registered electors, or persons who appear on the electoral roll, must be at least 18 years of age, citizens or permanent residents who have lived in the country for at least one year, and residents of the voting district in which they enroll for at least one month. People of Maori descent can enroll in either a general voting district or one of the Maori voting districts. Every elector, under the MMP system, has two votes: one for an electoral-district representative, and one for a political party.

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C

Judiciary

The governor-general of New Zealand appoints all judges in New Zealand, a tradition designed to supersede politics. The judicial system includes district courts, a High Court, a Court of Appeal, and a Supreme Court, which replaced the London-based Privy Council as New Zealand’s top judicial body in 2004. These courts form a hierarchy in the appeals process. The High Court hears appeals from lower courts and tribunals, while the Court of Appeal hears appeals from the High Court and from District Court jury trials. The decisions of the Court of Appeal are final, except in cases that may be appealed to the Supreme Court.

D

Political Parties

The two largest political parties in New Zealand are the National Party and the Labour Party. These parties traditionally dominated the politics of the country, contesting each other for control of the legislature. In order to moderate the impact of this two-party system, New Zealanders voted in a referendum to implement the MMP system, which took effect with the 1996 elections. This system helps smaller parties to win more legislative seats, thereby decreasing the likelihood of a one-party majority. Smaller parties are therefore often solicited to enter into party coalitions with the Labour and National parties, which continue to be the most influential parties. Other important parties include New Zealand First, ACT New Zealand, United Future, and the Green Party.

E

Local Government

New Zealand is divided into 12 regions and 74 territories. Regional councils administer the regions, and territorial authorities administer the territories. The territorial authorities include district and city councils, which have responsibility for most local administration. All members of these local governing bodies are directly elected.

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