Constitution

New Zealand 1852 Constitution (reviewed 2014)

Table of Contents

Part 3. The Legislature

A. The House of Representatives

10. House of Representatives

  1. There shall continue to be a House of Representatives for New Zealand.
  2. The House of Representatives is the same body as the House of Representatives referred to in section 32 of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
  3. The House of Representatives shall be regarded as always in existence, notwithstanding that Parliament has been dissolved or has expired.
  4. The House of Representatives shall have as its members those persons who are elected from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 1993, and who shall be known as members of Parliament.

11. Oath of allegiance to be taken by members of Parliament

  1. A member of Parliament shall not be permitted to sit or vote in the House of Representatives until that member has taken the Oath of Allegiance in the form prescribed in section 17 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957.
  2. The oath to be taken under this section shall be administered by the Governor-General or a person authorised by the Governor-General to administer that oath.

12. Election of Speaker

The House of Representatives shall, at its first meeting after any general election of its members, and immediately on its first meeting after any vacancy occurs in the office of Speaker, choose one of its members as its Speaker, and every such choice shall be effective on being confirmed by the Governor-General.

13. Speaker to continue in office notwithstanding dissolution or expiration of Parliament

A person who is in office as Speaker immediately before the dissolution or expiration of Parliament shall, notwithstanding that dissolution or expiration, continue in office until the close of polling day at the next general election unless that person sooner vacates office as Speaker.

B. Parliament

14. Parliament

  1. There shall be a Parliament of New Zealand, which shall consist of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand and the House of Representatives.
  2. The Parliament of New Zealand is the same body as that which before the commencement of this Act was called the General Assembly (as established by section 32 of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom) and which consisted of the Governor-General and the House of Representatives.

15. Power of Parliament to make laws

  1. The Parliament of New Zealand continues to have full power to make laws.
  2. No Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed after the commencement of this Act shall extend to New Zealand as part of its law.

16. Royal assent to Bills

A Bill passed by the House of Representatives shall become law when the Sovereign or the Governor-General assents to it and signs it in token of such assent.

17. Term of Parliament

  1. The term of Parliament shall, unless Parliament is sooner dissolved, be 3 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.
  2. Section 268 of the Electoral Act 1993 shall apply in respect of subsection (1).

18. Summoning, proroguing, and dissolution of Parliament

  1. The Governor-General may by Proclamation summon Parliament to meet at such place and time as may be appointed therein, notwithstanding that when the Proclamation is signed or when it takes effect Parliament stands prorogued to a particular date.
  2. The Governor-General may, by Proclamation, change the place of meeting of Parliament set out in the Proclamation summoning Parliament if that place is unsafe or uninhabitable.
  3. The Governor-General may by Proclamation prorogue or dissolve Parliament.
  4. A Proclamation summoning, proroguing, or dissolving Parliament shall be effective—
    1. on being gazetted; or
    2. on being publicly read, by some person authorised to do so by the Governor-General, in the presence of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and 2 other persons,

    — whichever occurs first.

  5. Every Proclamation that takes effect pursuant to subsection (3)(b) shall be gazetted as soon as practicable after it is publicly read.

19. First meeting of Parliament after general election

After any general election of members of the House of Representatives, Parliament shall meet not later than 6 weeks after the day fixed for the return of the writs for that election.

20. Lapse or reinstatement of parliamentary business

  1. Any Bill, petition, or other business before the House of Representatives or any of its committees during a session of a Parliament (any parliamentary business)—
    1. does not lapse on the prorogation of that Parliament and may be resumed in the next session of Parliament (a session of that Parliament):
    2. lapses on the dissolution or expiration of that Parliament, but may be reinstated in the next session of Parliament (a session of the next Parliament).
  2. Parliamentary business is reinstated in that next session if, after that dissolution or expiration, the House of Representatives resolves that the parliamentary business be reinstated in that next session.

C. Parliament and public finance

21. Bills appropriating public money

[Repealed]

22. Parliamentary control of public finance

It shall not be lawful for the Crown, except by or under an Act of Parliament,—

  1. to levy a tax; or
  2. to borrow money or to receive money borrowed from any person; or.
  3. to spend any public money.
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