New Zealand Government facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Zealand Government |
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| Māori: Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa | |
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Central government
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| Overview | |
| Leader | Prime Minister Christopher Luxon |
| Appointed by | Governor-General Cindy Kiro |
| Main organ | |
| Ministries | 32 ministries and departments |
| Responsible to | House of Representatives |
| Annual budget | NZ$119.3 billion (2018–19) |
| Headquarters | The Beehive and other locations across Wellington |
| Website |
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The New Zealand Government (Māori: Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa) is the main way political authority works in New Zealand. It is like the country's central team that makes decisions. In many countries with a parliamentary democracy, "Government" mostly means the group of leaders who run the country.
This system is based on "responsible government". This means the King is the head of state, but the government actually rules. It can only rule as long as it has the support of the House of Representatives. The Cabinet Manual is a guide that explains the main rules and customs for how the Government works.
Ministers are the people who hold power in the government. They are all part of the Executive Council. They are also responsible to the elected legislature, which is the House of Representatives. A smaller group of senior ministers (usually 20) form the Cabinet. This group makes big decisions together. The prime minister (currently Christopher Luxon) leads the Cabinet.
Some other ministers are part of the Executive Council but are not in the Cabinet. Most ministers have a specific job area, called a portfolio. This could be in charge of a government department or a certain policy area. Sometimes, ministers are appointed without a specific portfolio.
The prime minister is the person who has the support of most members in the House of Representatives. This position is also decided by things like agreements between political parties. The governor-general formally appoints the prime minister and other ministers. The governor-general is the King's representative in New Zealand. Usually, the governor-general follows the prime minister's advice when appointing ministers.
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Understanding the Government's Name
The word Government can mean different things in New Zealand. Sometimes, it means all three main parts of government working together. These parts are the executive (the decision-makers), the legislative (the law-makers, like Parliament), and the judicial (the courts). Each part works on its own, which is called "separation of powers".
More often, "Government" refers only to the executive part. The biggest political party or group of parties in the House of Representatives forms the Cabinet. This is what people mean when they say a party "forms the government". The Constitution Act 1986 says that the executive government is found in the Executive Council. This council also includes ministers who are not in the Cabinet.
The Executive Wing of Parliament Buildings is often called the "Beehive". This is because of its unique shape. Many government offices are here, and the Cabinet meets in this building. So, people sometimes use "Beehive" to mean the New Zealand Government itself. The official website for the New Zealand Government is beehive.govt.nz.
How the Government Started
The first Constitution Act was passed in 1846. However, Governor George Grey did not want it to be fully used. He thought settlers were not ready to govern themselves. So, most of the Act was put on hold until a new Act came in 1852. Before this, New Zealand was run as a Crown colony, directly by the British Crown.
New Zealand gained the right to govern itself in 1853. This happened after the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, which was a law from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Governments were set up at both the central level and in different provinces. There were six provinces at first. These provinces were later removed in 1876.
The first government that truly had control over local matters was the Sewell Ministry in 1856. Henry Sewell is seen as New Zealand's first prime minister. Political parties started to form later. The first government based on a political party was in 1891. This was when John Ballance formed the Liberal Party. The prime minister then became the main leader of the ruling party. In 1917, the King's representative in New Zealand changed from "governor" to "governor-general".
Past Governments of New Zealand
New Zealand's government history has three main parts. First, the time before it could govern itself. Second, from 1856 to 1890, when it started to govern itself. Third, from 1891 onwards, when political parties became important.
Usually, a government is named after the biggest party that leads it.
The King and the Governor-General
The New Zealand Government is officially called His Majesty's Government. This refers to the monarch, King Charles III. He is the head of state under the Constitution Act 1986. The King holds the legal power of the state, known as "the Crown". This is where the Government gets its power.
The King has special powers called the royal prerogative. For example, the King's approval (called Royal Assent) is needed for new laws to start. The King also approves treaties and can declare war or peace.
However, the King rarely uses these powers himself. Since the King does not usually live in New Zealand, he appoints a governor-general to represent him. The governor-general uses most of the King's powers. The prime minister chooses who will be the governor-general. By custom, the governor-general always follows the prime minister's advice. This custom protects the monarchy. It means the King is not personally responsible for the government's decisions. The governor-general does not have a set time limit for their job.
The King and the governor-general usually do not get involved directly in political matters. The governor-general uses the state's powers based on the advice of the ministers. For example, the governor-general's power to stop a law from passing is almost never used.
Ministers of the Government
Ministers are members of Parliament. They are given special permission by the Crown to do certain government jobs. This includes creating and putting into action policies. They also advise the governor-general. Before 1996, almost all ministers were part of the Cabinet. But now, with a different voting system, there are three types of ministers:
- Ministers in Cabinet
- Ministers outside Cabinet
- Ministers from parties that support the government.
The Executive Council
The Executive Council is a formal group set up in 1983. It meets to make decisions from the Cabinet official and legal. It also handles other tasks, like appointing people to government groups. Its main job is to issue Orders in Council. These are rules made by the Government that are legally binding.
All ministers are members of the Executive Council. They are called "The Honourable" while they are in office. The prime minister is called "The Right Honourable" for life. The governor-general usually leads the Council meetings, even though they are not a member.
The Cabinet
Cabinet (Māori: Te Rūnanga) is the main decision-making group of the Government. It is not officially a legal group in the Constitution Act 1986. Instead, it exists because of long-standing customs. Its decisions do not become law by themselves. However, it is the practical way the Executive Council works.
The prime minister is in charge of Cabinet meetings. The governor-general appoints the person who is most likely to have the support of the House of Representatives as prime minister. This choice depends on the size of political parties and agreements between them. The prime minister then advises the governor-general to appoint other ministers. Each minister is responsible for at least one portfolio (a specific area of government). They lead a public service department. The most important minister after the prime minister is the finance minister. Other key areas include foreign affairs, justice, health, and education.
Traditionally, all Cabinet members are responsible together for the decisions made by Cabinet. This means they must all publicly support Cabinet decisions. However, since the mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system started in 1993, parties in a coalition cabinet can sometimes "agree to disagree" on certain issues.
The Cabinet decides what new laws Parliament will work on. At the start of each new parliamentary term, the governor-general gives a speech. This speech is written by the Cabinet and explains the Government's plans for policies and laws.
Ministers Outside Cabinet
Some ministers are part of the Executive Council but are not in the Cabinet. Since the MMP voting system began, governments often form through agreements between a large party and smaller supporting parties. Ministers from these supporting parties are often ministers outside Cabinet. Ministers from the main governing party can also be outside Cabinet. These non-Cabinet ministers have the same general duties as their senior colleagues in Cabinet.
Who is in the Government Now?
The current group of ministers, since November 2023, is the National Party government. It is led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. This government is a coalition with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First.
List of ministers
Cabinet of New Zealand
Government Departments and Groups
New Zealand's public service has 32 main government groups. Most of them have "ministry" or "department" in their name. Examples include the Ministry for Culture and Heritage or the Department of Internal Affairs. About 45,000 public servants work in these groups. They advise the government and provide services to the public. Each department is led by a chief executive. This person reports to a government minister about the department's work. The minister is ultimately responsible for what their department does. This is called individual ministerial responsibility.
The wider state sector also includes about 2,800 Crown entities. These include around 2,600 school boards. There are also 17 state-owned enterprises, three officers of Parliament, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
