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54th New Zealand Parliament
Current New Zealand parliamentary term From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 54th New Zealand Parliament is the current meeting of the legislature in New Zealand. It opened on 5 December 2023 following the 14 October 2023 general election, and will expire on or before 16 November 2026 to trigger the next election.
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The Parliament was elected using a mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) voting system. MPs will represent 72 geographical electorates: 16 in the South Island, 49 in the North Island and 7 Māori electorates. The Electoral Act 1993 provides for the remaining seats to be elected from party lists using the Sainte-Laguë method to realise proportionality to an expected total of at least 120 MPs.[1]
Final results of the election determined that there are 123 members of Parliament, rather than the usual 120. 122 members were elected in the general election (there is an overhang of two members for Te Pāti Māori).[2][3] Due to the death of a candidate between the close of nominations and election day, Port Waikato did not elect a representative and an additional list MP was elected to ensure Parliament would have at least 120 members. The 72nd electorate MP, and 123rd MP overall, was elected in the Port Waikato by-election on 25 November 2023.[4]
Members in the 54th Parliament represent six political parties: National, ACT New Zealand, New Zealand First parties, in government, and the Labour Party, Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori, in opposition. Christopher Luxon of the National Party formed a coalition government with ACT and New Zealand First and was sworn in as prime minister on 27 November 2023.[5][6]
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Background
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2023 general election
The 2023 general election was held on 14 October. The opposition National Party won 48 seats in the election, an increase of 14 seats. The ruling Labour Party was reduced to 34 seats after losing a total of 28 seats. The Green Party, Labour's cooperation partner, got 15 seats, a rise of 6. The ACT Party increased its seat count by one. Te Pāti Māori took five Maori seats from Labour, totaling six seats, one more than their party vote entitled them to, giving parliament a three-seat overhang. After being voted out in the 2020 New Zealand general election, New Zealand First returned to parliament, earning eight seats.[7]
Government formation
Following the general election, the National Party required support from the ACT Party and New Zealand First to command the confidence of the House.[8] Negotiations between the three parties took place after the official results were announced on 3 November. After three weeks of negotiations, Christopher Luxon announced the formation of a coalition government with ACT and New Zealand First on 24 November.[5] On 27 November, Luxon was sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.[6]
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Parliamentary term
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The final results of the election were announced on 3 November and the writ for the 2023 election was returned on 16 November 2023.[9][10] Under section 19 of Constitution Act 1986, Parliament must meet no later than six weeks after this date; on 29 November 2023, following the new government's first Cabinet meeting, Leader of the House Chris Bishop confirmed that the Commission Opening and State Opening of Parliament would take place on 5 and 6 December 2023, respectively.
Timeline
- 16 November 2023 – The writ for election is returned; officially declaring all elected members of the 54th Parliament.[11]
- 24 November 2023 – A coalition government is formed between National, ACT, and NZ First.[5]
- 27 November 2023 – Christopher Luxon is sworn in as Prime Minister of New Zealand.[6]
- 5 December 2023 – The Governor-General issued the Commission of Opening of Parliament. The House elects Gerry Brownlee as Speaker.
- 6 December 2023 – State Opening of Parliament
- 30 May 2024 – Budget 2024 is delivered to Parliament.[12]
- 17–21 June 2024 – Parliament holds its first ever "scrutiny week," which allows select committees to scrutinise government and public sector spending plans.[13][14]
- 2–6 December 2024 – Parliament is scheduled to hold its second scrutiny week.[13]
Major legislation
In December 2023, the Government repealed several of the previous Labour Government's legislation and policies including the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's dual mandate, the Fair Pay Agreements Act 2022, the Clean Car Discount programme, the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 and the Spatial Planning Act 2023.[15][16][17][18] On 21 December, the Government passed legislation reinstating 90-day work trials.[19] In February 2024, the Government repealed the Three Waters reform programme, Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 and disestablished Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority) under urgency.[20][21][22]
In late March 2024, the Government passed major tax legislation restoring interest deductibility for residential investment property, reducing the bright-line test for residential property to two years, and eliminating depreciation deductions for commercial and industrial buildings.[23] The Government also passed legislation requiring electric cars and plug-in hybrids to pay road user charges.[24] In mid April 2024, the Government passed the legislation allowing 11 pseudoephedrine cold and flu medicines to be sold without prescriptions from June 2024.[25]
In late July 2024, the Government passed legislation reinstating the referendum requirement for Māori wards and constituencies in local councils. Councils that had previously established a Māori ward without a referendum are now required to hold a binding poll alongside the 2025 New Zealand local elections or to disestablish them.[26] In late August 2024, the Government passed legislation requiring local councils to develop plans for delivering drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services as part of its "Local Water Done Well" programme.[27]
In September 2024, Parliament passed a private member's bill amending the Fair Trading Act 1986 to ensure that gift cards have a minimum expiry date of three years from their initial purchase. The bill was supported by all parties except ACT.[28] In mid October 2024, Parliament passed Deborah Russell's private member's bill exempting victims of domestic violence from waiting a mandatory two years to seek a divorce.[29] In late October 2024, National-led government passed the resource management legislation easing the "regulatory burden" on the country's farming, mining and other primary industries.[30] In late November 2024, Parliament with cross-party support passed legislation restoring New Zealand citizenship to people born in Samoa between 1924 and 1949, who had been deprived of New Zealand citizenship in 1982.[31]
On 12 December 2024, Parliament passed the government's legislation introducing its pet bonds for tenants and reinstating 90 day no-cause evictions.[32] On 13 December, Parliament passed the government's legislation reinstating three-strikes laws.[33] On 17 December, the Government's contentious Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 passed into law.[34]
On 30 January 2025, Parliament passed the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill, which conferred legal personhood on Mount Taranaki. The New Zealand Crown also apologised to eight Māori iwi for confiscating Mount Taranaki and 1.2 million acres of Māori lands in the Taranaki region. In addition, Mount Egmont would cease to be an official name for Mt Taranaki.[35]
On 12 March 2025, Parliament passed Labour MP Camilla Belich's Crimes (Theft By Employer) Amendment Bill, clarifying that an employer withholding an employee's wages is theft. While the bill was opposed by National and ACT (60 votes), it passed with the support of the Labour, Green, Māori and New Zealand First parties (63 votes). The bill received royal assent on 13 March.[36]
Workplace behaviour and disciplinary actions
Julie Anne Genter
In early May 2024, Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter was referred to Parliament's privileges committee following complaints that she intimidated National Party's MP Matt Doocey during a heated parliamentary exchange.[37] In early August 2024, Genter was found in contempt of Parliament and ordered to apologise.[38]
Tākuta Ferris
In late September 2024, Te Pati Māori MP Tākuta Ferris was referred to Parliament's Privileges Committee after he made remarks accused Members of Parliament of lying and obfuscation.[39] On 12 February 2025, the Privileges Committee found that Ferris deliberately misled the House and ordered that he apologise for calling other MPs "liars".[40]
2024 Treaty Principles Bill haka
On 10 December 2024, Labour MP Peeni Henare, Te Pāti Māori MPs Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were referred to the Privileges Committee for leading a haka (ka mate) that interrupted vote proceedings during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill on 14 November.[41] On 26 March, the Committee found that Henare had acted in a "disorderly" way in joining the Te Pāti Māori-led haka but ruled that his actions did not amount to "contempt."[42]
On 1 April, Maipi-Clark, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer declined to appear before the Privileges Committee, claiming they had been denied key legal rights such as a joint hearing, restrictions on their legal representation Christopher Finlayson, expert testimony from tikanga (Māori culture) expert Tā Pou Temara denied, hearing scheduling conflicts being ignored and concerns about disciplinary action against Maipi-Clarke.[43] On 2 April, Chairperson of Privileges Committee Judith Collins confirmed that the privileges hearing would go ahead regardless of whether the three TPM MPs turned up.[44] In response, Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi announced that Te Pāti Māori would boycott the hearing and hold its own "alternative independent hearing," dismissing the Privileges Commitee as a "kangaroo court."[45]
Green Party–New Zealand First tensions
On 29 January 2025, the Green Party sent a letter asking Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee to condemn alleged racist and xenophobic remarks made by New Zealand First MPs and government ministers Winston Peters and Shane Jones towards several Green MPs from migrant backgrounds. Jones had made remarks about sending Mexicans home (a reference to Mexican-New Zealander MP Ricardo Menéndez March while Peters had accused Green MPs Lawrence Xu-Nan and Franciso Hernandez of seeking to impose "foreign ideas" on New Zealanders.[46] In response, Jones and Peters defended their remarks, with the former accusing the aforementioned foreign-born MPs of not respecting New Zealand culture and the latter accusing the Greens of "faux outrage."[47] Luxon refused to confirm whether he would discipline Peters and Jones but advised other MPs to "watch their language." The Mexican Embassy to New Zealand said it had raised concerns about Peters and Jones' remarks through diplomatic channels. Peters subsequently confirm that he would meet with the Ambassador at Waitangi in early February.[48]
On 19 February 2025, NZ First MPs Peters and Jones criticised Green MP Menéndez March for referring to New Zealand as "Aotearoa" while questioning Immigration Minister Erica Stanford. Peters also sought to change standing orders around references to New Zealand. Speaker Brownlee defended March's right to refer to New Zealand as Aotearoa but reminded MPs to refer to New Zealand by both its English and Māori language names.[49] On 4 March, Speaker Brownlee issued a ruling ordering Members of Parliament to stop complaining about the use of Aotearoa as the Māori name for New Zealand.[50]
Dissolution
The 54th Parliament will serve until another election is called. Under section 17 of the Constitution Act 1986, Parliament expires three years "from the day fixed for the return of the writs issued for the last preceding general election of members of the House of Representatives, and no longer".[51] The writ for the 2023 election was issued on 10 September 2023 and returned on 16 November 2023, meaning that the 54th Parliament would have to dissolve on or before 16 November 2026.
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Officeholders
Presiding officers
- Speaker of the House: Rt. Hon. Gerry Brownlee (National)
- Deputy Speaker of the House: Barbara Kuriger (National)
- Assistant Speakers of the House:
Other parliamentary officers
- Clerk: David Wilson
- Deputy Clerk: Suze Jones[52]
- Serjeant-at-Arms: Steve Streefkerk[53]
Party leaders
- Prime Minister of New Zealand (National): Rt. Hon. Christopher Luxon
- Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand: Rt. Hon. Winston Peters (NZ First)
- Leader of the Opposition (Labour): Rt. Hon. Chris Hipkins
- Deputy Leader of the Opposition: Hon. Carmel Sepuloni
- Co-leaders of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand:
- Hon. Marama Davidson
- Chlöe Swarbrick (from 10 March 2024)
- Hon. James Shaw (until 10 March 2024)
- Leader of ACT New Zealand: Hon. David Seymour
- Deputy Leader of ACT New Zealand: Hon. Brooke van Velden
- Leader of New Zealand First: Rt. Hon. Winston Peters
- Deputy Leader of New Zealand First: Hon. Shane Jones
- Co-leaders of Te Pāti Māori:
- Female Co-leader: Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
- Male Co-leader: Rawiri Waititi
Floor leaders
- Leader of the House: Hon. Chris Bishop
- Deputy Leader of the House:
- Hon. Louise Upston (from 24 January 2025)
- Hon. Simeon Brown (until 24 January 2025)
- Deputy Leader of the House:
- Shadow Leader of the House: Hon. Kieran McAnulty
- Deputy Shadow Leader of the House: Hon. Duncan Webb
Whips
- Senior Government (National) Whip:
- Stuart Smith from 4 March 2025
- Hon. Scott Simpson until 4 March 2025
- Junior Government (National) Whips: Suze Redmayne
- Senior Opposition (Labour) Whip:
- Glen Bennett (from 11 March 2025)
- Tangi Utikere (until 11 March 2025)
- Junior Opposition (Labour) Whip:
- Tracey McLellan (from 11 March 2025)
- Camilla Belich (until 11 March 2025)
- Assistant Opposition (Labour) Whip:
- Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (from 11 March 2025)
- Arena Williams (until 11 March 2025)
- Junior Opposition (Labour) Whip:
- Green Party Whip (Musterer): Ricardo Menéndez March
- Green Party Deputy Musterer: Kahurangi Carter
- ACT Party Whip: Todd Stephenson
- New Zealand First Whip: Jamie Arbuckle
- Te Pāti Māori Whip (Matarau): Mariameno Kapa-Kingi
Shadow cabinets
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Members
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Overview
The table below shows the members of the 54th Parliament based on the results of the 2023 general election, including the result of the Port Waikato by-election. Ministerial roles were officially announced on 24 November 2023.[54] Based on the official results, 41 candidates who had never been in parliament before were returned. Of those, 19 were from National,[55] 2 from Labour,[55] 8 from the Greens,[56] 4 from ACT,[56] 4 from Te Pāti Māori,[57] and 4 from NZ First.[58] The parliament totaled 123 seats after the conclusion of the Port Waikato by-election, meaning that one-third of the members are newcomers.
This table shows the number of MPs in each party:
Notes
- The Working Government majority is calculated as all Government MPs less all other parties.
Members
Demographics
The 54th Parliament has a historically high number of Māori MPs at 33. The number of female MPs, 55, is the second highest in New Zealand history, down from the high of 61 achieved during the 53rd Parliament.[59]
The number of Pasifika MPs, 6, is also down from the record number in the previous parliament, and is at its lowest number in 10 years.[59][60] There are currently no Pasifika MPs on the government benches.
Only 5 MPs who publicly identify as LGBTQIA+ were elected, 2 each from Labour and the Greens and 1 from ACT. This is down from a record 12 (10%) elected in the 2020 election.[61]
The following tables show the demographics of the members at the start of the term of the 54th Parliament:
Changes
The following changes in Members of Parliament occurred during the term of the 54th Parliament:
^1 This change occurred as a result of the elevation of Andrew Bayly, who had previously been elected as a list MP at the 2023 general election, to an electorate seat on 25 November 2023 at the Port Waikato by-election. Bayly resigned his list seat on 13 December 2023, creating a list vacancy.
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Seating plan
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Start of term
The chamber is in a horseshoe-shape.[91]
Current seating plan
As of 11 March 2025[update].[92]
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Committees
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The 54th Parliament has 13 select committees and 7 specialist committees.[93] They are listed below, with their chairpersons and deputy chairpersons:
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Electorates
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This section shows the New Zealand electorates as they are currently represented in the 54th Parliament.[114]
General electorates
Māori electorates
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See also
References
External links
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