Government of New Zealand facts for kids

The Government of New Zealand (in Māori: Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa) is how New Zealand is run. It's also called Her Majesty's Government in New Zealand. When people say "the Government," they usually mean the group of people who make decisions and carry them out. This group is called the executive branch.

In New Zealand, the Government works on a system called "responsible government." This means the Queen is the head of state, but the Government actually rules. However, the Government needs the support of the House of Representatives to stay in power.

The main people in charge are the Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers. These ministers are chosen to be part of the Executive Council. They are called "ministers of the Crown" and are responsible to the elected members of the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is the leader of the Government. This person is usually the leader of the political party that has the most members of parliament (MPs) in the House of Representatives.

The Governor-General officially appoints the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Governor-General represents the Queen in New Zealand. But it's the Prime Minister who chooses who will be in the Cabinet. The Governor-General always respects the Prime Minister's choices. Cabinet ministers are usually MPs from the Prime Minister's party. Some other ministers might be part of the Executive Council but not in the main Cabinet. Most ministers have specific jobs, like looking after a certain government department. The Prime Minister has a lot of power, especially in choosing people for government jobs.

The Queen of New Zealand is the country's head of state. But she doesn't get involved in how the country is run. She stays neutral in politics. However, the Government's power comes from the Queen, which is known as "the Crown." The Governor-General leads the Executive Council meetings, but they are not a member of the Council themselves.

How New Zealand's Government Works

New Zealand has a special way of governing itself. It's called a parliamentary democracy. This means that the people vote for members of parliament. These MPs then choose the government.

The Executive Branch

The executive branch is the part of the government that carries out laws and makes decisions. It's like the team that runs the country day-to-day.

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is the most powerful person in the New Zealand Government. They are the leader of the country. The Prime Minister leads the Cabinet and makes big decisions. They are chosen because their political party has the most support in the House of Representatives.

The Cabinet

The Cabinet is a group of senior ministers chosen by the Prime Minister. Each minister in the Cabinet is in charge of a specific area. For example, there might be a Minister of Education or a Minister of Health. They work together to make important decisions for the country. These ministers are also members of parliament.

The Governor-General

The Governor-General is the Queen's representative in New Zealand. They have important duties, like officially appointing the Prime Minister and ministers. They also open Parliament and sign laws. Even though they have these powers, they usually follow the advice of the Prime Minister and the Government.

The Queen

The Queen of New Zealand is the head of state. This means she is the symbolic leader of the country. She doesn't get involved in daily politics. Her role is mostly ceremonial. The power of the government comes from the Crown, which represents the Queen.

A Look at History

New Zealand started to govern itself in 1853. This happened after a law called the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was passed in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. At first, there were governments at both the national and local levels, called provinces. There were six provinces.

These provinces were later removed by a law in 1876. This happened when Harry Atkinson was the Prime Minister. The provinces officially stopped existing on January 1, 1877.

The first government that was based on political parties appeared in 1891. This is when John Ballance started the Liberal Party. His government was known as the Liberal Government.

Images for kids

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  The Beehive in Wellington is where the Government works.