1.
50th New Zealand Parliament
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The 50th New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2011 general election. It had 121 members, and was in place from December 2011 until September 2014, the first sitting of the 50th Parliament was held on 20 December 2011, where members were sworn in and Lockwood Smith was elected Speaker of the House. This was followed by the speech from the throne on 21 December, John Key continued to lead the Fifth National Government. Following the resignation of Smith, David Carter was elected Speaker, the Parliament was elected using the mixed-member proportional representation voting system. Members of Parliament represent 70 geographical electorates,16 in the South Island,47 in the North Island and 7 Māori electorates, the remaining 51 members were elected from party lists using the Sainte-Laguë method to realise proportionality. The Representation Commission is tasked with reviewing electorate boundaries every five years following each New Zealand census, the last review was undertaken in 2007 following the 2006 census, and the electorate boundaries determined then were used in both the 2008 and 2011 general elections. The next census was scheduled for 8 March 2011, but it was postponed due to the disruption caused by the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The new date for the census was 5 March 2013, a total of twenty general and five Maori electorates remained unchanged. The 2011 New Zealand general election was held on Saturday,26 November 2011, one hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives,70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party lists. Since the 1996 election, New Zealand has used the Mixed Member Proportional voting system, a referendum on the voting system was held at the same time as the election, in which 57. 8% of voters voted to keep the MMP voting system. A total of 3,070,847 people were registered to vote in the election, with over 2.2 million votes cast and a turnout of 73. 83%—the lowest turnout since 1887. New Zealand First, having won no seats in 2008 due to its failure to reach the 5% threshold or win an electorate. Nationals confidence and supply partners in the 49th Parliament meanwhile suffered losses, preliminary results indicated that ACT New Zealand won less than a third of the party vote it received in 2008, reducing from five seats to one. The Māori Party was reduced from five seats to three, as the party split between the Māori Party and former Māori Party MP Hone Harawiras Mana Party. United Future lost party votes, but retained their one seat in Parliament, the poor results for both the Labour Party and ACT resulted in changes to their leaderships. ACT leader Don Brash failed to get re-elected to Parliament due to the party vote. On 10 December, the results were published after the counting of the special votes. The main changes were that the National Partys vote share had decreased to 47. 31%, the Green Party vote rose to 11. 06%, which gained it one seat and is now eligible for 14 seats
2.
Parliament House, Wellington
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Parliament House in Wellington is the main building of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings. It contains the chamber, Speakers office, visitors centre. It replaced a building that burned down in 1907, and Parliament used the building from 1918. Parliament House was extensively earthquake strengthened and refurbished between 1991 and 1995 and it is open for visitors almost every day of the year, and is one of Wellingtons major visitor attractions. Parliament House is a Category I heritage building registered by Heritage New Zealand, on 11 December 1907, the original Parliament House burned to the ground, along with all other parliament buildings except the library. A museum was allowed for and the servants would move across from the Old Government Buildings on Lambton Quay. A competition to find a replacement design was announced by Prime Minister Joseph Ward in February 1911 and 33 designs were entered, the winning design, by Government Architect John Campbell, was selected by Colonel Vernon, former Government Architect for New South Wales. As another of Campbells entries won fourth place, the design is a combination of both entries. The design was divided into two stages, the first half, a Neoclassical building, contained both chambers and the second half Bellamys and a new Gothic Revival library to replace the existing one. Despite cost concerns, Prime Minister William Massey let construction of the first stage begin in 1914, the outbreak of World War I created labour and material shortages that made construction difficult. Although the building was unfinished, MPs moved into it in 1918 to avoid having to use the old, in 1922, the first stage was completed, the second stage was never built. During the 1980s, there were discussions about earthquake risk, there was even discussion about having the building torn down. In 1989, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust assigned the highest heritage rating to the building - Category I and this helped convince the decision makers to have the building strengthened and renovated, and what was up to then New Zealands largest heritage building conservation project began. In 1991, members moved across to Bowen House, where a debating chamber had been built. Base isolation was installed, and at its peak,400 workers were on site plus an additional 300 people were working offsite on the project. The renovated building was opened in November 1995 by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, after its comprehensive strengthening. The parliamentarians had their first session in the building in February 1996. The intention of the Liberal Government had been for the design to be implemented in stages, Parliament is open to the public every day apart from some key public holidays, but entry is subject to security screening
3.
New Zealand general election, 2014
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The 2014 New Zealand general election took place on Saturday 20 September 2014 to determine the membership of the 51st New Zealand Parliament. Voters elected 121 members to the House of Representatives, with 71 from single-member electorates and 49 from party lists. Since 1996, New Zealand has used the Mixed Member Proportional voting system, the party vote decides how many seats each party gets in the new Parliament, a party is entitled to a share of the seats if it receives 5% of the party vote or wins an electorate. Normally, the House has 120 seats but extra seats may be added there is an overhang. The one-seat overhang from the 50th Parliament will remain for the 51st Parliament, a total of 3,140,417 people were registered to vote in the election, around 92. 6% of all eligible New Zealanders. A total of 2,446,279 votes were cast, including a record 717,579 advance votes, turnout was 77. 90%, higher than the 2011 election, but the sixth-lowest since women gained the vote in 1893. The centre-right National Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister John Key, on election night counts, the party appeared to hold the first majority since 1994 with 61 seats, but lost one seat to the Green Party on the official count. The centre-left Labour Party, Nationals traditional opponent, lost ground for the election in a row. The Green Party dropped in the party vote from 11. 1% to 10. 7%, New Zealand First meanwhile increased its vote share to 8. 7% and seat count to 11. The Māori Party, ACT, and United Future retained their Parliamentary representation, the Internet Mana Party did not return to Parliament after its only representative in Parliament, Hone Harawira, was defeated in his electorate of Te Tai Tokerau. A referendum on the system took place in conjunction with the 2011 election. In the report, the Commission recommended the following, Reducing the party vote threshold from 5 percent to 4 percent, If introduced, the 4 percent threshold should be reviewed after three general elections. Abolishing the one electorate seat threshold – a party must cross the party vote threshold to gain list seats, retaining the status quo with closed party lists, but increasing scrutiny in selection of list candidates to ensure parties comply with their own party rules. Parliament should give consideration to fixing the ratio between electorate seats and list seats at 60,40, Parliament has the right to decide whether to implement any changes to the system, which had been largely unchanged since it was introduced in 1994 for the 1996 election. In May 2014 Judith Collins and John Key announced that no inter-party consensus existed on implementing the recommendations of the Commission, so the Government would not introduce any legislation. Following the 2011 general election, the National Party entered into confidence and supply agreements with ACT and these arrangements give the National-led government a majority of seven seats, with 64 on confidence-and-supply in the 121-seat Parliament. The Labour, Green, New Zealand First and Mana parties are all in opposition, One change was made to the allocation during the Parliament. In 2012, Brendan Horan was expelled from the NZ First caucus but continued to sit as an Independent, on 31 May 2013, the Electoral Commission de-registered United Future after it could not prove it had the 500 financial members required for registration
4.
Fifth National Government of New Zealand
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The Fifth National Government of New Zealand is the current government of New Zealand, taking office on 19 November 2008. It is led by Prime Minister Bill English, after the 2008 general election the National Party and its allies were able to form a government, taking over from Helen Clarks Fifth Labour Government. It was subsequently reformed after the 2011 general election with a number of seats. The Government has confidence and supply agreements with the parties, ACT, United Future. The National Party also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Green Party after the 2008 election, the Government was elected in the context of the late 2000s recession. In November 2009, a version of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme was adopted. Personal tax cuts, reducing taxes on all income, the top tax rate was lowered from 39% to 38%. Abolished the Loss Attributing Qualifying Company tax structure, which had allowed individuals to reduce their income tax by off setting their LAQCs losses. Increased GST from 12. 5% to 15% in October 2010, increased the minimum wage from $12.00 per hour to $13.00 per hour in its first term, and to $14.25 in its second term. This represents a nominal 3. 1% average annual increase, significantly lower than the previous governments nominal 7. 9% annual average increase, suspended payments to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Introduced the nine-day working fortnight for businesses who were considering laying off staff, the minimum employee and minimum employer contributions were raised to 3% in April 2013. The plans to sell down Solid Energy were later axed due to the poor financial position. A citizens-initiated referendum on the sell-downs returned a 67. 3% vote in opposition, repealed the Electoral Finance Act 2007 Introduced the Governor-General Act 2010, to reform the Governor-Generals salary and allowances. A Constitutional Review starting in 2011, in 2010 the bill was extended to all employers. Allowed employees to cash in their week of annual leave, employees can now take 3 weeks holiday. The fourth week of leave was introduced by the previous government. A lifetime limit on student loans was introduced, if a student has studied more than 7 EFTS within their lifetime the student can no longer take out any further loans. Students receiving New Zealand Superannuation Fund payments or Veterans Pension can no longer receive the Student Allowance at the same time
5.
New Zealand House of Representatives
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The New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand together constitute the New Zealand Parliament, the House of Representatives passes all laws, provides ministers to form a cabinet, and supervises the work of the Government. It is also responsible for adopting the states budgets and approving the states accounts, the House of Representatives is a wholly democratically elected body, usually consisting of 120 members known as Members of Parliament. Members are elected for limited terms, holding office until Parliament is dissolved, a government is formed from the party or coalition with the majority of MPs. If no majority is then a minority government can be formed with a confidence. The chamber was created by the British New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, which established a legislature, however the upper chamber. Parliament received full control over all New Zealand affairs in 1947 with the passage of the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act, the seat of the House of Representatives is Parliament House in Wellington, the capital city. The House of Representatives takes the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as its model, the New Zealand Parliament is based on the Westminster system. As a democratic institution, the role of the House of Representatives is to provide representation for the people. The executive branch of the New Zealand government draws its membership exclusively from the House of Representatives, although it does not elect the Prime Minister, the position of the parties in the House of Representatives is of overriding importance. By convention, a minister is answerable to, and must maintain the support of. Thus, whenever the office of prime minister falls vacant, the governor-general appoints the person most likely to command the support of the House—normally the leader of the largest party and this support is immediately tested through a motion of confidence. The House of Representatives normally consists of 120 members, known as Members of Parliament, the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives has overall charge of the administration of the House, and presides over sittings. Seating in the chamber is arranged in a horseshoe pattern. The Speaker of the House sits in a chair at the open end of the horseshoe. Following the example of the British House of Commons, members of Government are seated on the hand of the Speaker. MPs are assigned seating on the basis of the seniority in a party caucus, for example, the prime minister sits on the front row, in the fourth seat along from the Speaker. The 51st New Zealand Parliament is the current sitting of the House and its membership was elected at the 2014 general election and, so far, one subsequent by-election
6.
David Carter (politician)
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David Cunningham Carter is a New Zealand National Party politician and currently Speaker of the House, having previously been a cabinet minister. Carter attended St Bedes College in Christchurch, and has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree from Lincoln University and he has farmed sheep and cattle for over 30 years, and established the first commercial cattle-embryo transplant company in New Zealand in 1974. Carter stood in the Lyttelton electorate in the 1993 election as a successor to Gail McIntosh, Carter was first elected to Parliament in the 1994 by-election in Selwyn, replacing the resigning Ruth Richardson. In the 1996 general election he won the Banks Peninsula electorate against Dyson, in the 1999 election he was defeated by Dyson, but entered Parliament as a list MP. In the 2002 election, he failed to recapture the seat, from 1998 until the National Partys defeat in 1999 Carter was Minister for Senior Citizens, Associate Minister of Revenue, and Associate Minister for Food, Fibre, Biosecurity and Border Control. At the very end of Nationals term in office, he was also Associate Minister of Education, in 2008, Carter was initially chosen as the National candidate for the resurrected safe National seat of Selwyn, but opposition to this saw the National candidacy up for grabs again. He pulled out and the candidacy was won by Amy Adams. Carter was given a high list placing of nine instead and did not contest an electorate, after Nationals election victory, he took the portfolios of Agriculture, Biosecurity and Forestry. In May 2010, Carter issued a ban on kosher slaughter, Carter held shares in a firm that exports meat, and prior to instituting the ban he met senior managers of the firm who wanted a ban on kosher slaughter to reduce their competition. After the 2011 election, Carter was appointed Minister of the new Ministry of Primary Industries, on 22 January 2013 the Prime Minister announced that Carter was his preference to replace Lockwood Smith as Speaker of the House. Carters appointment was not without controversy, and the Labour Party questioned whether he wanted the job. As the opposition was not consulted, as per convention, Trevor Mallard was nominated by Labour, Carter won by 62 votes to 52. Consistent with the tradition of newly elected speakers, Carter had to be dragged to the following the election. The office of Speaker entitles Carter to the title The Right Honourable following a reform of the New Zealand Honours System in 2010. Carter cited his intention to continue as Speaker, if that is the will of Parliament, the following day, he silenced seven MPs that stood up to say they had taken personal offence to John Keys statement as they were victims of sexual abuse and asked him to apologize. Carter did not believe this was warranted and dismissed some of the seven, david Carter MP official site Profile at National Party Profile at New Zealand Parliament Releases and speeches at Beehive. govt. nz
7.
Simon Bridges
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Simon Joseph Bridges is a New Zealand politician and lawyer. Bridges has been the National Party Member of Parliament for Tauranga since the 2008 election and he is the Deputy Leader of the House, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Communications, Minister of Transport, and Associate Minister of Finance. Simon Bridges was born in October 1976 in Auckland, the youngest of six children and his father, a Māori of Ngāti Maniapoto descent, was a Baptist minister, and his mother, a New Zealand European from Waihi, was a primary school teacher. He has three-sixteenths Māori ancestry and is related to former Labour Cabinet Minister Koro Wētere, Bridges grew up in Te Atatu, West Auckland, and attended Rutherford College. There, he was taught by future Labour Education Minister Chris Carter and he went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history, and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Auckland. Bridges began his career as a litigation lawyer in a major Auckland law firm. He moved to Tauranga in 2001 to take up a position as a Crown prosecutor in the District, as a Crown prosecutor in Tauranga, Bridges mainly worked on jury trials. Bridges ended his career in 2008, when he was nominated by the National Party to stand for election to the New Zealand Parliament. Bridges became a member of the Young Nationals in 1992 at the age of 16 and was elected Deputy New Zealand Chair in 1997 and he was active in Nationals West Auckland organisation as a member of MP Brian Neesons electorate team. Bridges supported Neeson against a challenge by John Key for the National Party candidacy to contest the new seat of Helensville at the 2002 general election. In the following years, Bridges held several positions within the party, including sitting on the partys rules committee. In 2008 the incumbent National MP for Tauranga Bob Clarkson announced his intention not to stand for re-election, Bridges then announced his candidacy for the partys selection to stand in the electorate, and he resigned from his roles within the party. In June 2008 Bridges was selected as the candidate for the Tauranga electorate. He was placed at No.51 on Nationals party list, several opinion polls during the campaign suggested Bridges was likely to win the seat by a large margin. Bridges won the seat with a majority of 11,742 votes, against a field of 11 candidates, Bridges sponsored a Private Members Bill to increase penalties for animal cruelty, which was drawn from the ballot in early 2010. After passing its first reading, the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill was adopted by the Minister of Agriculture David Carter as a Government Bill and was passed into law, Bridges was re-elected in the 2011 election. In April 2012, Bridges became a Minister outside Cabinet, as Minister for Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister of Transport, Bridges made regular appearances on TVNZs Breakfast programme as part of the Young Guns feature, in which he appeared alongside Labour MP Jacinda Ardern. In January 2013 Bridges moved into the Cabinet and became Minister of Labour and Minister of Energy and he continued to be Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues
8.
Gerry Brownlee
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Gerard Anthony Gerry Brownlee is a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He is Leader of the House, Minister of Defence, Minister of Civil Defence, Brownlee was born in Christchurch to Leo and Mary Brownlee. He is the eldest of five children, raised Catholic, Brownlee attended St Bedes College where he twice failed to gain University Entrance. After leaving high school, he worked in his familys timber business, after qualifying as a builder, he retrained as a teacher and taught woodwork, technical drawing and Māori, over a period of twelve years, at Ellesmere College and at his alma mater, St Bedes. In the 1993 elections, Brownlee stood as the National Party candidate in the Sydenham electorate, where he campaigned unsuccessfully against Jim Anderton, in the 1996 election he contested the nearby seat of Ilam, and won by a comfortable margin. He has remained the MP for Ilam since that point, although his majority declined until making a recovery in the 2005 election. He was Don Brashs Deputy Leader from 2003–2006, and has served as a minister and Leader of the House in the Fifth National Government and his most prominent role has been leading the Governments earthquake recovery efforts following the 2010,2011 and 2016 earthquakes. Brownlee challenged the vacant deputy leadership of the National Party in 2001, English eventually succeeded to the leadership later that year. However, by 2003 Brownlee was seen by Labour Party MP Phil Goff, English was eventually replaced as National Party leader by former Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash. Brownlee was thought to be a deputy leader to Brash but declined to pursue the position. Shortly after his election, however, Smith opted to take two weeks of leave, saying that the protracted leadership disputes had exhausted him. When Smith returned to Parliament, Brownlee challenged him for the deputy leadership, informed of the challenge, Smith resigned, and on 17 November 2003 Brownlee won the caucus vote unopposed. Initially, Smith alleged that while he was on stress leave, audrey Young wrote in the New Zealand Herald that Brownlee and Murray McCully were rumoured to have been behind the campaign to oust Smith as deputy leader. After becoming a deputy leader, Brownlee continued his confrontational and colourful style of political debate, brownlees approach to this portfolio involved criticising the governments policies regarding perceived special treatment for Māori, an issue at the core of Nationals 2005 election manifesto. After the resignation of former National Party Leader of the Opposition Don Brash in November 2006, Brownlee stepped aside as deputy leader and the new leader, John Key, appointed confirmed him as the third-ranked National Party MP. As the Governments most senior Christchurch-based MP, Brownlee led the Governments work in earthquake recovery after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, following Nationals re-election in 2011 and 2014, Brownlee additionally served as Minister of Transport, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Civil Defence. Brownlee was selected to represent New Zealand in London at the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Brownlee voted against the Marriage Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand. Brownlee received criticism during the 1999 election campaign when he ejected Neil Able, the ejection took place with what many, including watching journalists, considered excessive force
9.
Prime Minister of New Zealand
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The Prime Minister of New Zealand is the head of government of New Zealand. The current prime minister is Bill English of the National Party, the prime minister is the most senior government minister, and chairs cabinet meetings. The office exists by a convention, which originated in New Zealands former colonial power. The convention stipulates that the Governor-General of New Zealand must select as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Representatives and this individual is typically the leader of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in that chamber. The title prime minister had made its first formal appearance in the 1873 Schedule of the Civil List Act and this was changed in 1869 to premier. That title remained in use for more than 30 years, being changed by Richard Seddon to prime minister in 1901 during his tenure in office. Following the declaration of New Zealand as a dominion in 1907, the office of prime minister is not defined by codified laws, but by unwritten customs known as constitutional conventions which developed in Britain and were replicated in New Zealand. The Prime Minister is leader of the cabinet, and takes a coordinating role, the Cabinet Manual 2008 provides an outline of the prime ministers powers and responsibilities. The post of minister is, like other ministerial positions. However, the convention has long since established that the prime minister must have. Historically, this has meant that the prime minister is the parliamentary leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives. By constitutional convention, the minister holds formal power to advise the sovereign. As head of government, the prime minister alone has the right to advise the governor-general to, Appoint, dismiss, call elections by advising the governor-general to dissolve parliament. The governor-general may reject the advice to dissolve parliament if the minister has recently lost a vote of confidence. The prime minister is regarded by convention as first among equals and they do hold the most senior post in government, but are also required to adhere to any decisions taken by cabinet, as per the convention of cabinet collective responsibility. The ability to appoint and dismiss ministers, furthermore, the MMP electoral system has complicated this, as the prime minister may have to consult with another party leader. The influence a prime minister is likely to have as leader of the dominant party and these powers may give more direct control over subordinates than is attached to the prime ministers role. The power gained simply from being central to most significant decision-making, in addition, like all other ministers and members of parliament, the prime minister receives annual allowances for travel and lodging, as do the prime ministers spouse and children
10.
Bill English
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Simon William Bill English is the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the National Party, having taken office on 12 December 2016. He was previously Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 to 2016, a farmer and public servant before entering politics, English was elected to parliament in 1990 as the National Partys candidate in the Wallace electorate. He was elevated to cabinet in 1996 and in 1999 was made Minister of Finance, in October 2001, English replaced Jenny Shipley as the leader of the National Party. The party lost the 2002 general election, and in October 2003 he was replaced as leader by Don Brash, in November 2006, after Don Brashs resignation, English became deputy leader under John Key. After Nationals victory at the 2008 general election, English became Deputy Prime Minister and was also made Minister for Finance for a second time and he became a list-only MP after retiring as an electorate MP at the 2014 general election. In December 2016, John Key announced his intention to resign as prime minister and he endorsed English as his replacement, and English won the resulting leadership election unopposed. English is the second-youngest of 12 children of Mervyn English and Norah English and his parents purchased Rosedale, a mixed sheep and cropping farm in Dipton, Southland from Mervyns uncle, Vincent English, a bachelor, in 1944. English was born in the town of Lumsden. He attended St Thomass School in Winton, then boarded at St. Patricks College in Upper Hutt and he played in the first XV of the schools rugby team. After finishing his studies, English returned to Dipton and farmed for a few years, English joined the National Party in 1980, while at Victoria University. He served for a period as chairman of the Southland branch of the Young Nationals, after moving to Wellington, he served for periods on the Island Bay and Miramar electorate committees, respectively. At the 1990 general election, English stood as the National candidate in Wallace, replacing the retiring Derek Angus, and was elected with a large majority. He and three newly elected National MPs were soon identified as rising stars in New Zealand politics, and at various points were dubbed the brat pack, the gang of four. In his first term in parliament, English chaired a committee into social services. He was made a parliamentary under-secretary in 1993, serving under the Minister of Health, in early 1996, English was elevated to cabinet by Prime Minister Jim Bolger, becoming the Minister for Crown Health Enterprises and Associate Minister of Education. He was 34 at the time, becoming the cabinets youngest member, after the 1996 general election, the National Party was forced into a coalition with New Zealand First to retain government. In the resulting cabinet reshuffle, English emerged as Minister of Health, however, as a condition of the coalition agreement, NZ Firsts Neil Kirton was made Associate Minister of Health, effectively becoming Englishs deputy. This arrangement was described in the press as a shotgun marriage, after their relationship became unworkable, Kirton was sacked from the role in August 1997, with the agreement of NZ First leader Winston Peters
11.
John Key
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John Phillip Key is a New Zealand politician who served as the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the New Zealand National Party. He was elected leader of the party in November 2006 and appointed Prime Minister in November 2008, born in Auckland before moving to Christchurch when he was a child, Key attended the University of Canterbury and graduated in 1981 with a bachelor of commerce. In 1999 he was appointed a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York until leaving in 2001 and he has held the seat since then. In 2004, he was appointed Finance Spokesman for National and eventually succeeded Don Brash as the National Party leader in 2006. After two years as Leader of the Opposition, Key led his party to victory at the November 2008 general election, and repeated this feat at both the November 2011 and September 2014 elections. He was expected to lead National into the 2017 election, as Prime Minister, Key led the Fifth National Government of New Zealand which entered government at the beginning of the late-2000s recession in 2008. In his first term, Keys government implemented a GST rise, Key was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to George Key and Ruth Key, on 9 August 1961. His father was an English immigrant and a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Key and his two sisters were raised in a state house in the Christchurch suburb of Bryndwr, by his mother, an Austrian Jewish immigrant. Key is the prime minister or premier of New Zealand to have Jewish ancestry, after Julius Vogel. He attended Aorangi School, and then Burnside High School from 1975 to 1979, then he attended the University of Canterbury and earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting in 1981. He has attended management studies courses at Harvard University, Key met his wife Bronagh when they were both students at Burnside High School. She also has a BCom degree, and worked as a consultant before becoming a full-time mother. They have two children, Stephie and Max, Max is a night-time radio host for George FM, and is also a singer. On 25 July 2008, Key was added to the New Zealand National Business Review Rich List for the first time, the list details the wealthiest New Zealand individuals and family groups. He had a wealth of NZ$50 million, making him the wealthiest New Zealand Member of Parliament. Keys first job was in 1982, as an auditor at McCulloch Menzies, in 1995, he joined Merrill Lynch as head of Asian foreign exchange in Singapore. Some co-workers called him the smiling assassin for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens of staff after heavy losses from the 1998 Russian financial crisis and he was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 1999 to 2001. In 1998, on learning of his interest in pursuing a political career, former party leader Jenny Shipley describes him as one of the people she deliberately sought out and put my head on the line–either privately or publicly–to get them in there
12.
Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)
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The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the Parliament of New Zealand. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister, the current Leader of the Opposition is Andrew Little, the Leader of the Labour Party. By convention, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest party of the Opposition, the Leader of the Opposition does not have a large official role, as most of the posts functions are ceremonial. Nevertheless, there are ways in which the Leader of the Opposition participates directly in affairs of state. The Leader of the Opposition also receives a higher salary than other members of the Opposition, for much of the countrys early history, the role was not a formal one. It was only when the Liberal Party was formed that any unified leadership appeared in Parliament, john Ballance, leader of the Liberals is usually considered the first Leader of the Opposition in the modern sense. When Ballance led the Liberals into government in 1891, they faced no opposition in a party sense. However, their opponents gradually coalesced around a leader, William Massey, who became Opposition leader in 1903, and in 1909 became the first leader of the new Reform Party. After this, the Leader of the Opposition would always be the leader of the largest party in the House of Representatives that had not undertaken to support the Government of the day. One notable exception to this was during World War I, when the opposition Liberal Party accepted the governing Reform Partys offer to form a wartime coalition, Prime Minister Massey also extended the offer to the new Labour Party who rejected it. This made Labour the largest party not in government, however their leader Alfred Hindmarsh was not recognized as the Leader of the Opposition, joseph Ward, who became Deputy Prime Minister in the wartime cabinet still retained the title, albeit in name only. During the 1910s and 1920s, the role of Opposition alternated between the Liberal and Reform parties, after the 1925 Election there was no official Leader of the Opposition until Rex Mason of Labour won the seat of Eden in the by-election held on 15 April 1926. Labour became superseded the Liberals as the opposition and their leader Harry Holland became Leader of the Opposition. The 1928 General Election put United in government for the last time, Reform then became the Opposition, however in 1931 Reform entered into coalition with the Liberals, and Labour then became the Opposition, despite being the third party. With the introduction of the MMP voting system, first used in the 1996 general elections, now, though the leader of the largest non-Government party still becomes the Leader of the Opposition, there will usually be several parties who are in opposition. An example of this arose after the 2002 general elections, when the National Party gained only 27 seats and this prompted calls from a number of parties, notably New Zealand First and the Greens, for the abolition or reform of the post. It was argued by these parties that the position had become an anachronism in the modern multi-party environment, however, with the resurrection of the National Party in the 2005 general election, a more traditional relationship between Government and Opposition has been restored. A table of Leaders of the Opposition is below, the table begins in 1891, when the first real political party was founded
13.
Jacinda Ardern
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Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern is a New Zealand politician and a member of the Labour Partys shadow cabinet. She was first elected to parliament as a list MP at the 2008 general election and she is currently the MP for Mt Albert, and the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Born in Hamilton, Ardern grew up in Morrinsville and Murupara and she attended the University of Waikato, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. She joined the Labour Party at an age, and became a senior figure in the Young Labour Party. After graduating from Waikato University, she spent time working in the offices of Phil Goff and she later spent time in London, working as a senior policy advisor. In early 2008 she won election as the President of the International Union of Socialist Youth, Ardern was raised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but left the church in 2005 because it conflicted with her political views. After a high placement on Labours party list for the 2008 election Ardern returned from London to campaign full-time and she also became the Partys candidate for the Waikato electorate. Ardern was unsuccessful in the vote, but was elected as a List MP. Upon election, she became the youngest sitting MP in Parliament, succeeding fellow Labour MP Darren Hughes, Labour Parliamentary leader Phil Goff appointed Ardern as Labours spokesperson for Youth Affairs and as associate spokesperson for Justice. Jacinda Ardern has featured as a panel guest on the TVNZ show Back Benches, the episodes panel comprised young members of various political parties. On 19 November 2008, shortly after the 2008 general election and she featured again on Wednesday 23 June 2010, shortly after the shadow cabinet reshuffle, in which Ardern had no portfolio change. She has also made appearances on TVNZs Breakfast programme as part of the Young Guns feature. Ardern contested the high-profile Auckland Central seat for Labour in the 2011 general election, standing against incumbent National MP Nikki Kaye for National, despite targeting Green voters to vote strategically for her, she did not succeed in her bid to unseat Kaye, losing by 717 votes. However, she returned to Parliament via the party list and she maintained an office within the electorate while a listed MP based in Auckland Central. After Goff resigned from the Party leadership following his defeat at the 2011 election and she was elevated to the fourth-ranking position in the Shadow Cabinet on 19 December 2011, becoming Spokesperson for Social Development under new leader David Shearer. Ardern announced that she intended to put forward her name for the Labour nomination for the Mount Albert by-election, when nominations for the Labour Party closed on 12 January 2017, Ardern was the only nominee and selected unopposed. She was confirmed as Labours candidate at a meeting on 22 January, Ardern won a landslide victory, gaining 77 percent of votes cast in the preliminary results. On 7 March 2017 she was elected as deputy leader of the Labour Party
14.
Andrew Little (New Zealand politician)
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Andrew James Little is a New Zealand politician and former trade union official who was elected as Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party on 18 November 2014. He has been a Labour Member of Parliament since 2011, previously he was the national secretary of New Zealands largest trade union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, and he was President of the Labour Party from 2009 to 2011. Born in New Plymouth on 7 May 1965, Little was educated at New Plymouth Boys High School and his father was a devout National Party supporter and Little recalls delivering National pamphlets under his fathers direction when he was younger. When he was 17, Little got his first job as a labourer digging the main trench for a new methanol plant in Waitara Valley as part of the Think Big project. During his time there he noticed that the contractor he was working for was deliberately using a less than amount of concrete than the work required. He finished work here at the beginning of 1984 and left upon being accepted to enter university, in the 1980s he studied law, philosophy and public policy at Victoria University of Wellington, where he became active in the campaign against New Zealands student loan scheme. He was elected president of the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association, after graduating he took a job as a lawyer with the Engineers Union, with his work including Accident Compensation Corporation and employment law issues. In 1997 he was appointed the general counsel. Two years later, he was appointed assistant national secretary, and was elected national secretary when Rex Jones stood down from the position in 2000, in 2007 Little was ranked at number 40 on the New Zealand Listener Power List. Little became an important extra-parliamentary figure within the Labour Party and was one of the advisors from the trade unions. Little was a representative on Labours national council as Affiliates Vice-President, on 2 March 2009 it was announced that Little was elected unopposed as President of the New Zealand Labour Party. He held that post until 2 April 2011 and he took on the ACC portfolio and gained profile during the National Partys restructuring of the organisation. Together with Trevor Mallard, he launched attacks against ACC Minister Judith Collins, the affair resulted in the resignations of the Accident Compensation Corporation chairman John Judge, and the ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart. At the 2014 election he stood and lost in the New Plymouth electorate. Young was returned with an increased margin, but this was partially explained by boundary changes. Little was elected as list MP because of his ranking of 11 on the Labour Party list, Little introduced a private members bill in the ballot that, if passed, would create a new criminal offence of corporate manslaughter. The bill was drafted in the wake of the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster, the bill is modelled on the United Kingdoms Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. A2012 3News poll found that seventy-four percent of respondents would like to see a charge of corporate manslaughter introduced, following Labours defeat at the general election in September 2014, David Cunliffe resigned as leader of the Labour Party
15.
David Cunliffe
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David Richard Cunliffe is a New Zealand politician and former Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. He is the sitting Member of Parliament for New Lynn, West Auckland, after Labour lost the 2011 general election and Phil Goff stood down as party leader, Cunliffe ran for the leadership, but narrowly lost to David Shearer. On 26 August 2013, Cunliffe announced a leadership bid after David Shearers departure from the leadership and was elected on 15 September 2013. Following Labours defeat at the election in September 2014, he resigned as leader of the Labour Party. Cunliffe was born in Te Aroha on 30 April 1963 and his family moved to Te Kuiti, then to Pleasant Point. His father, Bill, an Anglican minister, was active in the Labour Party, as a teenager he won a scholarship to study the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales. Cunliffe studied politics at the University of Otago, where he was a member of the Otago University Debating Society and he worked as a diplomat from 1987 to 1994 and gained a Diploma in Social Sciences in economics from Massey University in 1993. He worked as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Auckland from 1995 to 1999, Cunliffe was first elected to Parliament in the 1999 election, standing as the Labour candidate for the Titirangi seat. Since the 2002 election he has represented the seat of New Lynn, at the 2005 election, Cunliffe was returned with 18,087 votes or 55% of the electorate vote. He retained his seat in the 2008,2011, and 2014 elections, in the 2002–2005 Parliament he held the ICT portfolios and was Associate Minister of Finance and Revenue, after previously serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary for Finance and Commerce. During his first term he served as Chair of the Commerce Select Committee, in 2006, in his previous role as Immigration Minister, he announced a major review of the Immigration Act 1987. In May 2006 Cunliffe was referred to the Securities Commission by the NZX for commenting on Telecoms future dividend plans, the Securities Commission found that no law had been breached and no action was taken. In February 2008, as the Minister of Health, Cunliffe dismissed the Hawkes Bay District Health Board over political, monetary, napier Mayor Barbara Arnott and a number of members of the district voiced opposition to Cunliffes move as many of the board members were democratically elected. Following the release of a Health Ministry-commissioned independent report into the matter, after the 2008 general election defeat of the Labour Party, Cunliffe was made Labours spokesman for Finance, shadowing Nationals Finance Minister, Bill English. Cunliffe had been touted as a leader of the party. Speculation of a challenge again arose during the June 2010 expenses scandal. After Labour lost the 2011 general election and Goff stood down, Grant Robertson and David Parker also entered the race, but subsequently backed David Shearer, who won the high-profile race. Robertson became Deputy Leader, while Parker took Cunliffes finance spokesmanship, Shearer retained Cunliffe in a senior role on the front bench, with the Economic Development and Associate Finance roles
16.
New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 2014
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The 2014 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held to choose the leader of the Labour Party. Andrew Little won the election and became leader of the party, the election followed the resignation of leader David Cunliffe on 27 September 2014 after an historic general election defeat a week earlier. David Parker and Annette King were installed as leader and deputy leader. Nominations for the leadership closed on 14 October, and Labour Party members met the candidates in 14 hustings meetings throughout the country, the results of the contest were announced on 18 November. Under Labour Party rules, party members have 40% of the votes, caucus members have another 40% of the votes, David Cunliffe was the first person to put forward their nomination, but he later withdrew from the contest on 13 October. Candidates, in the order of their nominations being put forward, were Grant Robertson, Andrew Little, David Parker, the Labour Party has remained in opposition since the Fifth Labour Government was voted out in the 2008 general election. The Labour Partys leader, Helen Clark, resigned on election night and was replaced later by long-serving MP. Labours vote decreased to 27% at the 2011 general election and Goff subsequently resigned, the leadership election later that year saw David Shearer beat David Cunliffe in a vote of the partys caucus. In 2013 Shearer resigned as party leader and the Labour Party elected Cunliffe as its leader over Grant Robertson. The 2014 general election took place on 20 September, and the Fifth National Government was re-elected for a third term. Based on the results, the National Party had achieved an absolute majority of seats. According to political journalist Andrea Vance, the speech was written the day before the election. Whips are supposed to be loyal lieutenants to the leader, but Hipkins is an opponent of Cunliffe. Cunliffe tendered his resignation on 27 September, triggering the leadership election, while the new leader of the Labour Party was being determined, David Parker and Annette King became leader and deputy leader of the Party. Nominations for the leadership closed on 14 October, between 22 October and 11 November,14 hustings meetings were held throughout the country for members of the Labour Party. Voting by the Labour membership was possible through the post and online, and it is the second leadership election the Party conducted using new party rules agreed in 2012, which allow party members to vote. The Labour Party election rules state that the vote is split among the caucus, party members. Robertson announced on 27 September that he would contest the election, stating that he couldnt stand by and see the party poll 24%
17.
Monarchy of New Zealand
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The Crown is the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the New Zealand government, which is a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected parliamentarians, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from amongst them. The New Zealand monarchy has its roots in the British Crown, from which it has evolved to become a distinctly New Zealand institution, however, the Queen is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role. New Zealand shares the same monarch with the other 15 monarchies in the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations, supports of the monarchy argue it costs New Zealand taxpayers only a small outlay for royal engagements and tours and the expenses of the governor-generals establishment. Monarchy New Zealand states his figure is one dollar per person per year. Thus, New Zealands line of succession remains identical to that of the United Kingdom, as such, the rules for succession are not fixed, but may be changed by a constitutional amendment. The Constitution Act 1986 specifies that should a regent be installed in the United Kingdom, upon a demise of the Crown, the late sovereigns heir immediately and automatically succeeds, without any need for confirmation or further ceremony—hence arises the phrase The King is dead. It is customary, though, for the accession of the new monarch to be proclaimed by the governor-general on behalf of the Executive Council of New Zealand. Following an appropriate period of mourning, the monarch is crowned in the United Kingdom in an ancient ritual. After an individual ascends the throne, he or she continues to reign until death. One of the first post-Second World War examples of New Zealands status as an independent monarchy was the alteration of the title by the Royal Titles Act 1953. This is one of the key differences from the Queens role in England and this is done in reciprocation to the sovereigns Coronation Oath, wherein he or she promises to govern the Peoples of. According to their laws and customs. Though this power stems from the people, all New Zealanders live under the authority of the monarch, the government of New Zealand is defined by the constitution as the Queen acting on the advice of her Executive Council. In the construct of constitutional monarchy and responsible government, the advice tendered is typically binding, meaning the monarch reigns. The Royal Prerogative also extends to foreign affairs, the sovereign or the governor-general conducts treaties, alliances, the governor-general, on behalf of the Queen, also accredits New Zealand high commissioners and ambassadors, and receives similar diplomats from foreign states. In addition, the issuance of passports falls under the Royal Prerogative, the Crown is further responsible for summoning, proroguing, and dissolving the House of Representatives, after which the governor-general usually calls for a general election. The sovereign is responsible for rendering justice for all her subjects, however, she does not personally rule in judicial cases, instead the judicial functions of the Royal Prerogative are performed in trust and in the Queens name by Officers of Her Majestys Court
18.
Elizabeth II
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Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake duties during the Second World War. Elizabeths many historic visits and meetings include a visit to the Republic of Ireland. She has seen major changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation. She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms and she is the worlds oldest reigning monarch as well as Britains longest-lived. In October 2016, she became the longest currently reigning monarch, in 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the family, however, support for the monarchy remains high. Elizabeth was born at 02,40 on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather and her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and she was delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfathers London house,17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Elizabeths only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, the two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as Crawfie. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature and music, Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margarets childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeths love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, others echoed such observations, Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant and her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. During her grandfathers reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, many people believed that he would marry and have children of his own. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second-in-line to the throne, later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeths father became king, and she became heir presumptive, if her parents had had a later son, she would have lost her position as first-in-line, as her brother would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession
19.
Governor-General of New Zealand
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The Governor-General of New Zealand is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The office is mandated by letters patent and the officeholder is formally titled the Governor-General, when travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of New Zealand, and of the Queen of New Zealand. For this reason, the governor-general is viewed by some as the de facto head of state, under the Niue Constitution Act, the governor-general also represents the monarch in Niue. The governor-general initially represented the British monarch and the government of the United Kingdom, therefore, many officeholders have been British statesmen. In 1972, Sir Denis Blundell became the first New Zealand resident to be appointed to the office, governors-general are not appointed for a specific term, but are generally expected to serve for five years. The current Governor-General is Dame Patsy Reddy, who has served since 28 September 2016, administrative support for the governor-general is provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Appointment to the Office is made by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Prime Ministers advice has sometimes been the result of a decision by Cabinet, although there is no requirement for this. The appointment of Anand Satyanand met with the approval of every leader in the House of Representatives, by convention the Leader of the Opposition is also consulted on the appointment, however this too has not always been the case. This suggestion was in turn criticised by the Government, as Sir Edmund had backed Labour in 1975 as part of the Citizens for Rowling campaign, however, the right granted by the convention was not exercised directly by a New Zealand Prime Minister until 1967. Although non-partisan while in office, there have been a number of appointments of Governors-General to the office that have attracted considerable controversy, despite their political backgrounds, neither of these appointments could be said to have discharged their duties in a partisan way. There has often been speculation that a member of the Royal Family might take up the position, before the Governor-General enters office, his or her commission of appointment is publicly read in the presence of the Chief Justice of New Zealand and the members of the Executive Council. The Governor-General must take the Oath of Allegiance and the oath for the due execution of the office, from time to time, there have been proposals to elect the Governor-General. When first drafted by then Governor George Grey, the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 contained provision for the Governor to be elected by New Zealands Parliament. This provision was removed from the enactment, probably because the Colonial Office wanted to keep a check on New Zealands colonial government. In 1887 Sir George Grey, by then also a former Premier, the Bill was narrowly defeated 46–48, being opposed by the government of Harry Atkinson. In 2006 political commentator Colin James suggested that the Governor-General could be elected by a 60% majority of votes cast in Parliament, James argued that the New Zealand public should be given the ability to choose the Queens representative, and that the current system is undemocratic and not transparent. National MP Nikki Kaye queried whether several one-member parties in parliament could veto the decision, the Republican Movement responded that the method would ensure appointments were made that most MPs and parties found acceptable. The Governor-General holds office at the pleasure of the Queen, under clause II of the Letters Patent
20.
Jerry Mateparae
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His appointment as Governor-General was announced on 8 March 2011 and he took office on 31 August 2011. Jerry Mateparae was born to the Andrews family in Wanganui and he was given to his mothers brother, a Mateparae, to be raised in the Māori customary adoption known as whāngai. His birth father and his father were both ministers in the Rātana Church. He is descended from the Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes and also has links to Tūhoe and he was raised in the Whanganui suburb of Castlecliff and attended Castlecliff Primary School, Rutherford Intermediate School and Wanganui High School. He has three children with his first wife Raewyn, who died in 1990, and two children with his second wife Janine, Mateparae enlisted as a private in the Regular Force of the New Zealand Army in June 1972. In December 1976, he graduated from the Officer Cadet School and he served in both battalions of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and in the New Zealand Special Air Service. He was a commander in Singapore in 1979. On 24 December 1999, he was promoted to brigadier, in the post of Land Component Commander, from December 1999 to July 2001, he was the Joint Commander for New Zealand forces attached to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor. In February 2002, Mateparae was promoted to general and became the Chief of General Staff. The title was changed in mid-2002 to Chief of Army, on 1 May 2006 he was promoted to lieutenant general and took up appointment as the Chief of Defence Force, New Zealands senior uniformed military appointment, which he held until 24 January 2011. On 26 August 2010, Prime Minister John Key announced the appointment of Mateparae as Director of the Government Communications Security Bureau, Mateparae was appointed for a five-year term commencing on 7 February 2011 but stepped down from the role on 1 July 2011. On 8 March 2011, Prime Minister John Key announced the recommendation of Mateparae as the next Governor-General of New Zealand, the Queen of New Zealand made the appointment later that day. On 31 August 2011 he was sworn in as the Governor-General for a five-year term, on 20 May 2011, Mateparae was appointed an Additional Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and as an Additional Companion of the Queens Service Order. On 14 November 2012 he hosted a party for the 64th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales who was visiting New Zealand, in April 2013 Sir Jerry travelled to Afghanistan to mark the end of New Zealand Defence Forces deployment there. In June 2014, he attended the 70th anniversary commemorations of D Day in Normandy with the Queen, other heads of government and world leaders, taking a number of New Zealand veterans with him. Mateparae expanded on a tradition started by his predecessor, Sir Anand Satyanand in 2012, on 16 December 2016, it was announced that Mateparae would be New Zealands next high commissioner to the United Kingdom, replacing Sir Lockwood Smith in early 2017. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and he was made an Additional Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the January 1999 New Year’s Honours, for his service in Bougainville. In May 2011 the Singapore government awarded him the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang – Distinguished Service Order, in June 2011 he was awarded Knight of Justice of the Order of St John in regards to him becoming Prior of the Order of St John in New Zealand
21.
New Zealand general election, 2017
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The 2017 New Zealand general election is scheduled to be held on Saturday 23 September 2017 to determine the membership of the 52nd New Zealand Parliament. The current Parliament was elected on Saturday,20 September 2014, unless an early election is called or the election date is set to circumvent holding a by-election, a general election is held every three years. The last election was held on Saturday,20 September 2014, the Governor-General must issue writs for an election within seven days of the expiration or dissolution of the current Parliament. The writs for the 2014 election were returned on 10 October 2014, as a result, the 51st Parliament will expire, if not dissolved earlier, on Tuesday,10 October 2017. Consequently, the last day for issuance of writs of election is 17 October 2017, the writs must be returned within 50 days of their issuance, which will be Wednesday,6 December 2017. Because polling day must be a Saturday and two weeks is generally required for the counting of votes, the last possible date for the next general election is Saturday,18 November 2017. On 1 February 2017, Prime Minister Bill English announced that the election would be held on Saturday 23 September 2017 and this will be the first election that both major parties, Labour and National are contesting under new leadership since 1975. Key dates relating to the election will typically be as follows. New boundaries are not due until early 2019, after the 2018 census, polling booths may now use electronic electoral rolls to mark off voters. Counting of advance votes may now start earlier at 9, 00am, contact information of sitting MPs, such as business cards and signage on out-of-Parliament offices, has been clarified as not constituting election advertising. Election advertising is now prohibited in or near advance polling booths. Election hoardings may now be erected nine weeks before the election, parties are no longer allocated free airtime on Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand to broadcast opening and closing addresses. At the 2014 general election, the seats were won with a plurality of less than 1000 votes. Seventeen existing Members of Parliament have announced that they will not stand for re-election, trevor Mallard announced in July 2016 that he will not contest Hutt South, but will run as a list-only candidate, with the intention of becoming Speaker of the House. Political parties registered with the Electoral Commission on Writ Day can contest the election as a party. Each such party can submit a party list to contest the party vote, as of 6 March 2017, fourteen political parties are registered and can contend the general election. During the three month regulated period prior to election day, parties and candidates have limits on how much they may spend on election campaigning and it is illegal in New Zealand to campaign on election day itself. A party contesting all 71 electorates is therefore permitted to spend $2,975,200 on election campaigning, all electorate candidates are permitted to spend $26,200 each on campaigning over and above their partys allocation
22.
Mixed-member proportional representation
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Mixed-member proportional representation is a hybrid two-tier voting system. MMP was originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag and it was used in Romania, in the 2008 and 2012 legislative elections. MMP is a method that uses party list proportional representation as its proportional component. It is considered a system, which is a distinct voting system. An electoral system is mixed if more than one formula is employed to distribute legislative seats, biproportional apportionment, first used in Zürich in 2006, is a hybrid method for adjusting an elections result to achieve overall proportionality. In Germany, where it is used on the level and on most state levels. In the United Kingdom such systems used in Scotland, Wales, in the Canadian province of Quebec, where an MMP model was studied in 2007, it is called the compensatory mixed-member voting system. In most models the voter two votes, one for a constituency representative and one for a party. In the original variant used in Germany, both votes were combined into one, so voting for a representative automatically meant also voting for the representatives party. Most of Germany changed to the variant to make local MPs more personally accountable. Voters can vote for the person they prefer for local MP without regard for party affiliation. In the 2005 New Zealand election, 20% of local MPs were elected from electorates which gave a different party a plurality of votes, in each constituency, the representative is chosen using a single winner method, typically first-past-the-post. Most systems used closed party lists to elect the non-constituency MPs, depending on the jurisdiction, candidates may stand for both a constituency and on a party list, or may be restricted to contend either for a constituency or for a party list, but not both. If a candidate is on the party list, but wins a constituency seat, in Bavaria the second vote is not simply for the party but for one of the candidates on the partys regional list, Bavaria uses seven regions for this purpose. A regional open-list method was recommended for the United Kingdom by the Jenkins Commission. This can be done by the largest remainder method or a highest averages method, subtracted from each partys allocation is the number of constituency seats that party won, so that the additional seats are compensatory. If a party wins more FPTP seats than the proportional quota received by the party-list vote, in most German states, but not federally until the federal election of 2013, balance seats are added to compensate for the overhang seats and achieve complete proportionality. In the last election in Scotland, the highest averages method resulted in a majority government for the Scottish National Party with only 44% of the party vote, however, Scotland uses the term Additional Member System which, like MMP can either be proportional or semi-proportional
23.
South Island
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The South Island or Te Waipounamu is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, the South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres and has a temperate climate. In the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population, in prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite article. Charcoal drawings can be found on rock shelters in the centre of the South Island. The drawings are estimated to be between 500 and 800 years old, and portray animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles, some of the birds pictured are long extinct, including moa and Haasts eagles. They were drawn by early Māori, but by the time Europeans arrived, early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha. They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Mamoe in the 16th century, Kāti Mamoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Kāti Mamoe organisation, many Kāi Tahu have Kāti Mamoe links in their whakapapa and, a notable feature of the Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism, proved disadvantageous when Māori warriors arrived in the 1830s aboard a chartered European ship. In the early 18th century, Kāi Tahu, a Māori tribe who originated on the east coast of the North Island, There they and Kāti Mamoe fought Ngāi Tara and Rangitāne in the Wairau Valley. Ngāti Māmoe then ceded the east coast regions north of the Clarence River to Kāi Tahu, Kāi Tahu continued to push south, conquering Kaikoura. By the 1730s, Kāi Tahu had settled in Canterbury, including Banks Peninsula, from there they spread further south and into the West Coast. In 1827-1828 Ngāti Toa under the leadership of Te Rauparaha successfully attacked Kāi Tahu at Kaikoura, Ngāti Toa then visited Kaiapoi, ostensibly to trade. When they attacked their hosts, the well-prepared Kāi Tahu killed all the leading Ngāti Toa chiefs except Te Rauparaha, Te Rauparaha returned to his Kapiti Island stronghold. After destroying Te Maiharanuis village they took their captives to Kapiti, John Stewart, though arrested and sent to trial in Sydney as an accomplice to murder, nevertheless escaped conviction. In the summer of 1831–32 Te Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pā, Kaiapoi was engaged in a three-month siege by Te Rauparaha, during which his men successfully sapped the pā. They then attacked Kāi Tahu on Banks Peninsula and took the pā at Onawe, in 1832-33 Kāi Tahu retaliated under the leadership of Tūhawaiki and others, attacking Ngāti Toa at Lake Grassmere. Kāi Tahu prevailed, and killed many Ngāti Toa, although Te Rauparaha again escaped, fighting continued for a year or so, with Kāi Tahu maintaining the upper hand. Ngāti Toa never again made an incursion into Kāi Tahu territory
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North Island
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The North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the slightly larger but much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The islands area is 113,729 square kilometres, making it the worlds 14th-largest island and it has a population of 3,596,200. Twelve main urban areas are in the North Island, about 77% of New Zealands population lives in the North Island. Although the island has been known as the North Island for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with the South Island, after a public consultation, the board officially named the island North Island or Te Ika-a-Maui in October 2013. In prose, the two islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite articles. It is normal to use the preposition in rather than on, for example Hamilton is in the North Island, maps, headings, tables and adjectival expressions use North Island without the. According to Māori mythology, the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui, Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe when he caught a great fish and pulled it from the sea. While he was not looking his brothers fought over the fish and this great fish became the North Island and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui. The mountains and valleys are believed to have formed as a result of Māuis brothers hacking at the fish. Until the early 20th Century, an alternative Māori name for the North Island was Aotearoa, in present usage, Aotearoa is a collective name for New Zealand as a whole. The sub-national GDP of the North Island was estimated at US$102.863 billion in 2003, the island has an extensive flora and bird population, with numerous National Parks and other protected areas. Nine local government regions cover the North Island and all its adjacent islands, healthcare in the North Island is provided by fifteen District Health Boards. Organised around geographical areas of varying sizes, they are not coterminous with the Local Government Regions
25.
New Zealand census
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The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the 2013 census took place on Tuesday,5 March 2013. Since 1926, the census has always held on a Tuesday. Since 1966, the census officially occurs at midnight on a Tuesday in March and these are statistically the month and weekday on which New Zealanders are least likely to be travelling. All census forms are hand-delivered by census workers during the lead-in to the census, with one form per person, in addition, teams of census workers attempt to cover all hospitals, camp grounds, workplaces and transport systems where people might be found at midnight. The smallest geographic unit used in the census for population data is the mesh block, which there are 39,300 of, with an average of 110 people in each. The 2013 Census collected data on the topics, The first full census in New Zealand was conducted in 1851. The 1931 census was cancelled due to the effects of the Great Depression, the 1946 census was brought forward to Tuesday 25 September 1945, so that the results could be used for an electoral redistribution before the 1946 election. Results for those censuses before 1966 have been destroyed with a few exceptions, the 2006 census was held on Tuesday,7 March. For the first time, respondents had the option of completing their census form via the Internet rather than by a printed form, the 2011 census was to be held on Tuesday,8 March. However, due to the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011, for the first time ever, all 2011 census forms would have been digitally archived. On 27 May 2011 Statistics New Zealand announced that a census would take place in March 2013, the legislation required to change the census date was introduced to Parliament in August 2011. The 2013 census took place on Tuesday 5 March 2013, the next census will take place in 2018. A few people object to the census and attempt to evade it, following the 2006 Census, Statistics New Zealand prosecuted 72 people for failing to return their forms, with 41 convictions. After the 2013 Census, they wrote to 450 people in July 2013 who had failed to return the forms, of whom 99 were prosecuted, most of those convicted faced two charges and were fined $50 to $500 per charge. Results of the 2013 census are being released over an 18-month period, Statistics New Zealand - census page New Zealand 2013 Census
26.
New Zealand general election, 2008
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The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. Key announced a week later that he would lead a National minority government with support from the ACT, United Future. The Governor-General swore Key in as New Zealands 38th Prime Minister on 19 November 2008, the Green Party became the third-largest party in Parliament, with nine seats. The ACT Party came joint-fourth, increasing their number of seats from two to five, and reversing some of their losses from the 2005 election, the Māori Party also won five seats – out of the seven Māori seats – creating an overhang of two seats. The New Zealand First party, which had seven MPs in the parliament, failed to win any electorates or pass the 5 per cent MMP threshold. In her concession speech, Helen Clark announced her resignation as the leader of the Labour Party. She had led the party since 1993, and had served as prime minister since the 1999 election and this was one more overhang seat than in 2005. cParty Votes and Turnout by Electorate. Chief Electoral Office, New Zealand Ministry of Justice, dThe turnout is given as a percentage of those enrolled to vote. In New Zealand, enrolment is compulsory, though voting is not, New Zealand General Election 2008 - Official Results. While the National Party has dominated rural seats since 1938, it achieved a clean sweep this year, Palmerston North remains the only provincial city with a Labour MP. The two seats of Hamilton both went to National, ^† These people entered Parliament at the election as list MPs Notes Party list members resigned during the parliamentary term. Originally unsuccessful party list members declared elected to parliament when elected list MPs resigned, convention in New Zealand expects Parliaments to run for a full three years unless the government loses the confidence of the House, although this has not happened since 1911. On Friday 12 September 2008, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that the election would take place on 8 November 2008. This set the election timetable as, Dissolution of parliament – Friday,3 October 2008. Writ day – Wednesday,8 October, nominations day – Tuesday,14 October. Election day – Saturday,8 November, Official results declared and writs returned by Saturday,22 November. The 49th Parliament must convene no later than Saturday 3 January 2009, nineteen registered political parties contested the party vote, The following parties either disappeared during the previous parliaments term, or did not contest the 2008 elections for other reasons. New Zealand First received 4. 07% of the party vote – below the threshold of 5% –, in contrast, voter turnout of 79. 5% of enrolled voters came in lower than in most previous elections, the second-lowest since 1978 and third-lowest since 1902
27.
New Zealand general election, 2011
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The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament. One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives,70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 50 from party lists. New Zealand since 1996 has used the Mixed Member Proportional voting system, a referendum on the voting system was held at the same time as the election, with voters voting by majority to keep the MMP system. A total of 3,070,847 people were registered to vote in the election, with over 2.2 million votes cast and a turnout of 74. 21% – the lowest turnout since 1887. The incumbent National Party, led by John Key, gained the plurality with 47. 3% of the party vote and 59 seats, two seats short of holding a majority. New Zealand First, having won no seats in 2008 due to its failure to reach the 5% threshold or win an electorate. Nationals confidence and supply partners in the 49th Parliament meanwhile suffered losses, ACT New Zealand won less than a third of the party vote it received in 2008, reducing from five seats to one. The Māori Party was reduced from five seats to three, as the party split between the Māori Party and former Māori Party MP Hone Harawiras Mana Party. United Future lost party votes, but retained their one seat in Parliament, the election date was set as Saturday 26 November 2011, as predicted by the media. Breaking with tradition, Prime Minister John Key announced the date in February. Traditionally, the date is a closely guarded secret, announced as late as possible. The date follows the tradition of holding the election on the last Saturday of November unless the schedule is interrupted by a snap election or to circumvent holding a by-election. The Governor General must issue writs for an election seven days of the expiration or dissolution of Parliament. The writs for the general election were returnable on 27 November 2008. As a result, the 49th Parliament would have expired, if not dissolved earlier, as that day was a Sunday, the last available working day was 25 November 2011. Consequently, the last day for issuance of writs of election was 2 December 2011, except in some circumstances, the writs must be returned within 50 days of their issuance with the last possible working day being 20 January 2012. Because polling day must be a Saturday, the last possible polling date for the election was 7 January 2012, the Christmas/New Year holiday period made the last realistic date for the election Saturday 10 December 2011. The Rugby World Cup 2011 was hosted by New Zealand between 9 September and 23 October 2011, and ruled out all the election dates in this period
28.
2011 Christchurch earthquake
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An earthquake occurred in Christchurch on 22 February 2011 at 12,51 p. m. local time and registered 6.3 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people in the nations fifth-deadliest natural disaster. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt, the earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. Subsequent population loss saw the Christchurch main urban area fall behind the Wellington equivalent to decrease from second to third most populous area in New Zealand,185 people from more than 20 countries died in the earthquake. Over half of the deaths occurred in the six-storey Canterbury Television Building, an additional 28 people were killed in various places across the city centre, and twelve were killed in suburban Christchurch. Due to the injuries sustained some bodies remained unidentified, between 6,600 and 6,800 people were treated for minor injuries, and Christchurch Hospital alone treated 220 major trauma cases connected to the quake. Rescue efforts continued for over a week, then shifted into recovery mode, the last survivor was pulled from the rubble the day after the quake. The nationalities of the deceased are as follows, road and bridge damage occurred and hampered rescue efforts. Soil liquefaction and surface flooding also occurred, road surfaces were forced up by liquefaction, and water and sand were spewing out of cracks. A number of cars were crushed by falling debris, in the central city, two buses were crushed by falling buildings. Because the earthquake hit during the hour, some people on the footpaths were buried by collapsed buildings. Damage occurred to older buildings, particularly those with unreinforced masonry. Of the 3,000 buildings inspected within the four avenues of the city by 3 March 2011. Many heritage buildings were given red stickers after inspections, as of February 2015, there had been 1240 demolitions within the four avenues since the September 2010 earthquakes. The six-storey Canterbury Television building collapsed in the earthquake, leaving only its lift shaft standing,115 people died in the building, which housed a TV station, a medical clinic and an English language school. On 23 February police decided that the damage was not survivable, fire-fighting and recovery operations resumed that night, later joined by a Japanese search and rescue squad. Twelve Japanese students from the Toyama College of Foreign Languages died in the building collapse, a government report later found that the buildings construction was faulty and should not have been approved. The four-storey Pyne Gould Guinness House on Cambridge Terrace, headquarters of Pyne Gould Corporation, collapsed, on Wednesday morning,22 hours after the quake, a survivor was pulled from the rubble
29.
Auckland
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Auckland is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the most populous area in the country. Auckland has a population of 1,495,000, which constitutes 32 percent of New Zealands population, a diverse and multicultural city, Auckland is home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. It has also been called Ākarana, the Māori pronunciation of Auckland, the Auckland urban area ranges to Waiwera in the north, Kumeu in the northwest, and Runciman in the south. It is not contiguous, the section from Waiwera to Whangaparāoa Peninsula is separate from its nearest neighbouring suburb of Long Bay, the surrounding hills are covered in rainforest and the landscape is dotted with dozens of dormant volcanic cones. The central part of the area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two major bodies of water. The isthmus on which Auckland resides was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich, Māori population in the area is estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. After a British colony was established in 1840, the new Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson and he named the area Auckland for George Eden, Earl of Auckland, British First Lord of the Admiralty. It was replaced as the capital in 1865, but immigration to the new city stayed strong, today, Aucklands Central Business District is the major financial centre of New Zealand. Auckland is classified as a Beta World City because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, education and tourism. Aucklands landmarks such as the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, the Harbour Bridge, the Sky Tower, the isthmus was settled by Māori around 1350, and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many pā were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks, Māori population in the area is estimated to have been about 20,000 people before the arrival of Europeans. As a result, the region had relatively low numbers of Māori when European settlement of New Zealand began, there is, however, nothing to suggest that this was the result of a deliberate European policy. Auckland was officially declared New Zealands capital in 1841 and the transfer of the administration from Russell in the Bay of Islands was completed in 1842. However, even in 1840 Port Nicholson was seen as a choice for an administrative capital because of its proximity to the South Island. After losing its status as capital, Auckland remained the city of the Auckland Province until the provincial system was abolished in 1876. Each of the four settlements had about 800 settlers, the men being fully armed in case of emergency but spent nearly all their time breaking in the land and establishing roads
30.
Waitakere (New Zealand electorate)
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Waitakere was a parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the House of Representatives of New Zealand. The electorate was first formed for the 1946 election and existed until 2014, with breaks from 1969 to 1978, the last MP for Waitakere was Paula Bennett of the National Party, who had held this position since the 2008 election. The 1941 census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth, the North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the quota through the Electoral Amendment Act,1945 reduced the number. Waitakere was based around the suburbs of Auckland. In its last boundaries before abolition, the electorate included the Waitakere City suburbs of Henderson, Ranui, Waitakere was first abolished in the 1967 electoral redistribution, which resulted from the Electoral Act 1965 that fixed the number of South Island electorates at 25. As a result, three electorates were created in the North Island, and one additional in the South Island. One of those new electorates was Henderson, which took over most of Waitakeres area and these changes came into effect with the 1969 election. Henderson existed for three cycles and was abolished again through the 1977 electoral redistribution, when Waitakere was recreated. In the South Island, the shift of population to Christchurch had continued, overall, three electorates were newly created, three electorates were recreated, and four electorates were abolished. All of those electorates were in the North Island, changes in the South Island were restricted to boundary changes. These changes came into effect with the 1987 election, Waitakere was abolished from 1984 to 1993, and then abolished again in 2014 to make way for new electorates Kelston and Upper Harbour. The Waitakere electorate existed from the 1946 election to 1969, and this seat was held in an unbroken run by Labour for the whole of these two periods. In 2002 Lynne Pillay was elected over Alliance leader Laila Harré, in 2005 Pillay was re-elected with a five thousand vote majority over Nationals Paula Bennett. In a nationwide swing towards the National Party in 2008 Bennett managed to unseat Pillay, Carmel Sepuloni was selected by the Labour Party to challenge Paula Bennett for her seat in 2011. On election night, Paula Bennett was thought to have held the seat by 349 votes, the National Party requested a judicial recount due to the tightness of the competition. The outcome of Waitakeres recount was released on 17 December 2011, the margin was two orders of magnitude smaller than the number of voters who voted while not being on the electoral role,393. In November 2013, it was proposed that the Waitakere electorate be abolished for the 2014 general election, the electorate was mainly subsumed by Helensville, Te Atatū, and the new Kelston electorate, with a small section moving to the new Upper Harbour electorate
31.
Kelston (New Zealand electorate)
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Kelston is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate that returns one member to the House of Representatives. It was first formed for the 2014 election and was won by Labours Carmel Sepuloni, Kelston was proposed in the 2013/14 electorate boundary review and confirmed by the Electoral Commission on 17 April 2014. The increase in population in the Auckland region as recorded in the 2013 census meant an extra electorate was required to keep all electorates within five percent of their quota. To accommodate an extra electorate the Electoral Commission abolished Waitakere and established two new electorates, namely Kelston and Upper Harbour. The two new electorates will stay in place in their form for at least two general elections, with the first one held in 2014 and the second one expected in 2017. The Kelston electorate took over parts of the Te Atatū, New Lynn, Mount Albert, the first three electorates are all safe Labour electorates while Waitakere was marginal, Nationals Paula Bennett won the electorate by just nine votes in 2011 from Labours Carmel Sepuloni. Consequently, Kelston was regarded as a safe Labour electorate, Labour selected Sepuloni as its candidate for the 2014 general election, and she won the election with a majority of over 5,000 votes to Nationals Christopher Penk. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections, key Labour As of 2014 no candidates who have contested the Kelston electorate have been returned as list MPs
32.
Upper Harbour (New Zealand electorate)
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Upper Harbour is a parliamentary electorate in Auckland that returns one member to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was first formed for the 2014 election and was won by Nationals Paula Bennett, Upper Harbour covers an area astride upper, north-western reaches of Waitemata Harbour. It stretches from Massey, in West Auckland, through West Harbour and Hobsonville, Upper Harbour was proposed in the 2013/14 electorate boundary review and confirmed by the Electoral Commission on 17 April 2014. The increase in population in the Auckland region as recorded in the 2013 census meant an extra electorate was required to keep all electorates within five percent of their quota. To accommodate an extra electorate the Electoral Commission abolished Waitakere and established two new electorates, namely Upper Harbour and Kelston. When the draft changes to boundaries were first announced, the incumbent of the Waitakere electorate. Bennett won the 2014 election with a majority of nearly 10,000 votes of Labours Hermann Retzlaff. The Upper Harbour and Kelston electorates will stay in place in their form for at least two general elections, with the first one held in 2014 and the second one expected in 2017. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections, key National As of 2014 no candidates that have contested the Upper Harbour electorate have been returned as list MPs
33.
Christchurch
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Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. The Christchurch urban area lies on the South Islands east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula and it is home to 389,700 residents, making it New Zealands third most-populous urban area behind Auckland and Wellington. The city was named by the Canterbury Association, which settled the province of Canterbury. The name of Christchurch was agreed on at the first meeting of the association on 27 March 1848 and it was suggested by John Robert Godley, who had attended Christ Church, Oxford. Some early writers called the town Christ Church, but it was recorded as Christchurch in the minutes of the management committee of the association, Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand. The Avon River flows through the centre of the city, with a park located along its banks. At the request of the Deans brothers, the river was named after the River Avon in Scotland, the usual Māori name for Christchurch is Ōtautahi. This was originally the name of a site by the Avon River near present-day Kilmore Street. The site was a dwelling of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Potiki Tautahi. The Ōtautahi name was adopted in the 1930s, prior to that the Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana, a transliteration of the English word Christian. The citys name is abbreviated by New Zealanders to Chch. In New Zealand Sign Language, the name is the fingerspelled letter C signed twice, with the second to the right of the first. Archaeological evidence found in a cave at Redcliffs in 1876 has indicated that the Christchurch area was first settled by moa-hunting tribes about 1250 CE. These first inhabitants were thought to have followed by the Waitaha tribe. Following tribal warfare, the Waitaha were dispossessed by the Ngati Mamoe tribe and they were in turn subjugated by the Ngāi Tahu tribe, who remained in control until the arrival of European settlers. Their abandoned holdings were taken over by the Deans brothers in 1843 who stayed, the First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the first 792 of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour. These sailing vessels were the Randolph, Charlotte Jane, Sir George Seymour, the Charlotte Jane was the first to arrive on 16 December 1850. The Canterbury Pilgrims had aspirations of building a city around a cathedral and college, the name Christ Church was decided prior to the ships arrival, at the Associations first meeting, on 27 March 1848
34.
Christchurch East (New Zealand electorate)
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Christchurch East, originally called Christchurch City East, is a current New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was first created for the 1871 election and was abolished for two period, from 1875–1905 and again from 1946–1996 and it was last created for the introduction of the MMP voting system for the 1996 election. The current MP is Poto Williams, a member of the New Zealand Labour Party who was first elected in the 2013 Christchurch East by-election, the electorate is based on the eastern part of the City of Christchurch. When the electorate was first formed through the Representation Act 1870, unlike today, the eastern boundary was away from the coast, rather, the Avon electorate covered the coastal regions. The electorate is bounded in the east by the Pacific Ocean, the boundary then followed Cuthberts Road, Breezes Road and Bridge Street to the Avon River, before following the Avon through the Avon Heathcote Estuary and out to the Pacific Ocean. The first election was contested by Jerningham Wakefield, who had previously represented Christchurch Country in the 1st Parliament, and Andrew Duncan, Christchurch East was re-created for the 1905 election. The election was contested by Thomas Davey, William Whitehouse Collins, Henry Toogood, the 1908 election was contested by Davey, Charles Boxshall, James McCombs, and Frederick Cooke. Davey was re-elected, with McCombs coming second, the Second Ballot Act 1908 provided for second or runoff ballots between the top two candidates where the top candidate did not get an absolute majority. As Davey had obtained 55. 56% of the votes, a ballot was not required in Christchurch East. The 1911 election was contested by Davey, Henry Thacker, Hiram Hunter, the first ballot was won by Thacker, with Davey beating Hunter by only four votes for second place. A second ballot was required, as Thacker had achieved 32. 68% of the votes in the first ballot, the second ballot was won by Davey with a majority of over 17% of the votes. Davey planned to contest the 1914 election, the Liberal Government had by now been replaced by the Reform Government. A week later, he withdrew his nomination and this left three other candidates in the election, Henry Thacker, George Duncan Macfarlane, and Hiram Hunter. Thacker was successful and succeeded Davey, the 1919 election was contested by Thacker and Hiram Hunter. Thacker served for two terms until 1922 and was Mayor of Christchurch until 1923, Thacker was defeated in the 1922 election by Tim Armstrong of the Labour Party. The third candidate was W R Devereux, an agent who stood for the Reform Party. Armstrong successfully contested the 1925 and 1928 elections against Denis Franklyn Dennehy, his challenger stood for the Liberal Party in 1925, and for its successor, Armstrong was challenged by George Frederick Allen of the United Party in 1931, but Armstrong remained successful. Allen was active in affairs and was the headmaster of the Sumner District High School
35.
Christchurch Central (New Zealand electorate)
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Christchurch Central is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the South Island city of Christchurch. The electorate was established for the 1946 election and, until 2011 had always won by the Labour Party. Wagner significantly increased her margin in the 2014 election after having declared the electorate unwinnable for National earlier in the year following a boundary review. The 1941 census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth, the North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the quota through the Electoral Amendment Act,1945 reduced the number. As the name suggests, the covers the Christchurch Central City, plus several inner suburbs to the north. In the 2013/14 redistribution, the electorate lost Mairehau and Shirley to Christchurch East and gained more of Sydenham and Beckenham from Port Hills, the incumbent, Brendon Burns, had a majority in the 2008 election of also just under one thousand. The first representative was Robert Macfarlane, who had represented the Christchurch South electorate. He held Christchurch Central until the 1969 election, when he retired and he was succeeded by Bruce Barclay, who died in office in 1979. This caused the 18 August 1979 by-election, which was won by Geoffrey Palmer, Palmer would eventually go on to become Prime Minister. Palmer retired at the 1990 election and was succeeded by Lianne Dalziel, at the 1996 election, i. e. with the advent of MMP, Dalziel did not contest an electorate but stood as a list candidate only. Tim Barnett succeeded her and held the electorate until the 2008 election, the election night results for the 2011 election resulted in a tie, Burns and Nicky Wagner of the National Party received 10,493 votes each. The outcome of the election thus depended on the special votes and this was the first time a tie result had been achieved since 1928. When the final count was announce on 10 December Wagner was declared the winner with a majority of 45 over Burns. Due to the closeness of the results a judicial recount was held where Wagners Majority increased by 2 votes to 47, when draft electoral boundary changes were released, Wagner declared the electorate unwinnable for National. Although she was expected to not contest the 2014 general election, Labour chose Tony Milne as their candidate for Christchurch Central. Wagner had a 2,420 majority over Milne, the Labour Party will choose their candidate for the next general election in June 2016, and one of their nominees will be prominent lawyer and earthquake claims advocate Duncan Webb. Christchurch Central has been represented by seven MPs, since its creation in 1946 until the 2011 general election it had been a safe seat for the Labour Party
36.
Port Hills (New Zealand electorate)
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Port Hills is a parliamentary electorate of New Zealand created for the 2008 general election. Ruth Dyson of the Labour Party had previously held the Banks Peninsula electorate since the 1999 election that was replaced by Port Hills. The Port Hills electorate is urban, and lost the more rural Banks Peninsula areas of the old electorate to the Selwyn electorate that was also formed for the 2008 election. Port Hills was created after a review of electoral boundaries conducted in the wake of the 2006 census of population, the south Christchurch suburbs of Bromley and Sydenham have been added from Christchurch East and Wigram, respectively. Most of the electorate is urban, Port Hills was one of the electorates worst affected by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and suffered minor population loss as a result. The 2013 redistribution has resulted in the losing the areas around Bromley and Sydenham. Because the new suburbs are strong Labour-voting areas, Banks Peninsula MP Ruth Dyson retained the electorate despite a swing to the National Party in 2008. This is also one of the electorates which elected a Labour MP, nationals candidate in 2008 was Terry Heffernan, who at that time was already weakened by cancer. In the 2011 election, Dyson contested the electorate against David Carter, Dyson and Carter had contested before, in 1993, Dyson was successful in the Lyttelton electorate, but in 1996 in Banks Peninsula, Carter had the upper hand. In 1999,2002, and 2005, Dyson was always in first place, based on preliminary counts, Dyson has a majority of 1,865 votes over Korako. Key Labour National NZ First Green Electorate,43,511 Port Hills Pulse website Labour party electorate website
37.
Selwyn (New Zealand electorate)
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Selwyn is a current electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives, composed of towns on the outskirts of Christchurch city. The electorate was first formed for the 1866 election and has been abolished three times during its history and it was last re-established for the 2008 election and has since been held by Amy Adams for the National Party. The 1941 census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth, the North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the quota through the Electoral Amendment Act,1945 reduced the number. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged,27 electorates were abolished,19 electorates were created for the first time, the Selwyn electorate is the successor to the old electorate of Rakaia, which loses the town of Ashburton to Rangitata. In an historical sense, the name refers to an electorate that existed between 1866 and 1919, in the second sense, it can refer to an electorate contested between 1946 and 1972 and again from 1978 until it was absorbed by Rakaia for the first MMP election in 1996. The dominant topic for the 1875 election was the abolition of the Provinces, William Reeves, the incumbent, favoured the retention of the provincial system of government, whilst his opponent, Cecil Fitzroy, was an abolitionist. Fitzroy, at 31-years of age 20 years Reeves junior, narrowly won the election, edward Lee acted as returning officer for the election. In the 1879 election, John Hall was returned unopposed, in the 1881 election, Hall beat R. Lockhead by 467 to 169 votes. In the 1890 election, Alfred Saunders, Thomas Hamilton Anson, the incumbent MP is Amy Adams of the National Party. The electorate is one of Nationals safest seats, with just 5% separating the Labour Party from the Greens in the 2011 election, the only places where Adams didnt win in 2011 were Arthurs Pass and Diamond Harbour. In the 2014 election, Adams got over 70% of the electorate votes based on preliminary results, unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections. Electorate,46,937 A by-election was held following the resignation of Ruth Richardson
38.
Wigram (New Zealand electorate)
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Wigram is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the House of Representatives of New Zealand. The current MP for Wigram is Megan Woods of the Labour Party and she took over this position from Jim Anderton, who had held this position from 1996 until 2011. Through an amendment in the Electoral Act in 1965, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, in the North Island, five electorates were newly created and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. In the South Island, three electorates were created and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. The overall effect of the changes was highly disruptive to existing electorates, with all. These changes came into effect with the 1969 election, Wigram is based around south-western Christchurch. The main suburbs in the seat are Spreydon, Hillmorton, Riccarton, Hornby, following the 2013/2014 boundary review, it lost the suburb of Somerfield and parts of Hoon Hay to Port Hills. The electorates name comes from the suburb of Wigram, and by extension the former Wigram Aerodrome, the electorate had previously existed from 1969 to 1978, when it was held by Mick Connelly for Labour. Wigram was one of the original sixty-five Mixed Member Proportional electorates created ahead of the 1996 election, in the 2011 election, the seat reverted to Labour candidate Megan Woods after his retirement, but the National Party comfortably won the party vote. The chairman of the Canterbury-Westland branch of the National Party, Roger Bridge, stated in April 2014 that Woods had a low profile, Woods won re-election in the 2014 election with a more than a doubled majority. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and started at general elections, key Labour Alliance Progressive Electorate,45,427 McRobie, Alan
39.
Waimakariri (New Zealand electorate)
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Waimakariri is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, formed for the 1996 election and returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The MP for Waimakariri is Matthew Doocey of the National Party and he has held this position since the 2014 election and takes over from Kate Wilkinson, who defeated Clayton Cosgrove in the 2011 election. Waimakariri centres on metropolitan Christchurch and spreads northward up the coast of the South Island, along with neighbouring Selwyn, Waimakariri has been experiencing strong population growth, with many people from Christchurch displaced by the earthquakes. The existence of Waimakariri dates back to the introduction of MMP voting in the 1996 general election, the first contest saw Rangioras Jim Gerard easily defeated by former Prime Minister and MP for Christchurch North, Mike Moore. He left the office in July 1999, having been elected Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Clayton Cosgrove won the second contest in 1999 and was confirmed in 2002,2005 and 2008. Given that Rangiora was a safe National electorate and Christchurch North a safe Labour electorate, Cosgrove retained the electorate with a much narrower 390 majority in 2008, whilst his opponent Kate Wilkinsons party got over 5000 more party votes. Results from the 2011 election gave Wilkinson a lead of 642 votes over Cosgrove, Doocey beat Cosgrove with an increased majority. Key Labour National Alliance NZ First Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Waimakariri electorate, unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections. 1Jim Gerard retired in April 1997 to take appointment as High Commissioner to Canada Electorate,47,387 Electorate Profile Parliamentary Library
40.
New Zealand National Party
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The New Zealand National Party is a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is one of two parties in contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside its historic rival, the New Zealand Labour Party. The party originated in 1936 with the merger of the United and Reform parties, National is the nations second-oldest extant political party. National governed for four periods in the course of the 20th century and it has favoured economic liberal policies since the 1990s. Since November 2008, National has been the largest party in minority governments with support from the centrist United Future, the liberal ACT Party, Bill English has been the party leader and Prime Minister of New Zealand since 12 December 2016. The New Zealand National Party has been characterised as conservative and liberal, with outlying populist, the partys principles, last revised in 2003, seek a safe, prosperous and successful New Zealand that creates opportunities for all New Zealanders to reach their personal goals and dreams. It supports a limited welfare state but says that work, merit, innovation and personal initiative must be encouraged to reduce unemployment, historically, the party has supported a higher degree of protectionism and interventionism than it has in recent decades. The last major interventionist policy was Prime Minister Robert Muldoons massive infrastructure projects designed to ensure New Zealands energy independence after the 1973 oil shock, Think Big. The Fourth National Government mostly carried on the sweeping reforms of the Fourth Labour Government known as Rogernomics. Following a moderate Fifth Labour Government, the Fifth National Government of New Zealand took power in 2008 under John Key. For instance they extended free general practitioner visits to children under 13 as part of their 2014 election package, in the most recent general election, in 2014, the National Party ran a campaign focusing on stability. They promised to limit new spending every year, to not introduce any new taxes and they also campaigned on the possibility of moderate tax cuts within the next few years and are generally in favour of free-trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The National Party was formed in May 1936, but its roots go further back. The party came about as the result of a merger between the United Party and the Reform Party, historically, the Liberal and Reform parties had competed against each other, but from 1931 until 1935 a United-Reform Coalition held power in New Zealand. The coalition went into the 1935 election under the title of the National Political Federation, the two parties were cut down to 19 seats between them. Another factor was a party, the Democrat Party formed by Albert Davy. The new party split the vote and aided Labours victory. In hopes of countering Labours rise, United and Reform decided to turn their alliance into a single party and this party, the New Zealand National Party, was formed at a meeting held in Wellington on 13 and 14 May 1936
41.
ACT New Zealand
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ACT New Zealand, usually known as ACT /ˈækt/, is a right-wing, classical-liberal political party in New Zealand. The name comes from the initials of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, founded in 1993 by Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley and it was briefly led by former National Party leader and Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash for the 2011 general election. Since the 2008 general election it has provided support to the Fifth National Government. The partys current leader and single member of parliament is David Seymour, ACT bases its philosophy on individual freedom and on personal responsibility. Former leader Don Brash promised to focus the party on controlling government debt, equality among all New Zealanders, under previous leader Rodney Hide, ACT New Zealand had primarily focused on two main policy areas, taxation and crime. The flat tax rate that ACT proposed would be approximately 15% with no tax on the first $25,000 for those who opt out of Government accident, sickness, a majority also supported the legalisation of brothels by the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. The Act Partys current position on climate change is that there is no warming trend in New Zealand, in February 2016, ACT deleted this climate change policy from their website and ACT Party Leader David Seymour attacked the Green party for doing bugger all for the environment. The name comes from the initials of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, founded in 1993 by Roger Douglas, from this, they formed ACT New Zealand in the following year as a political party. In the 1996 election, ACT fielded 56 list candidates, richard Prebble won the Wellington Central electorate and with 6. 10% of the vote, the party was eligible for seven list MPs. In the 1999 election, ACT obtained 7. 04% of the party vote, in the 2002 election, ACT obtained 7. 14% of the party vote, making it eligible for nine list MPs. In the 2005 election, ACT obtained 1. 51% of the party vote, in the New Zealand general election,2008, ACT fielded 61 list candidates, starting with Rodney Hide, Heather Roy, Sir Roger Douglas, John Boscawen, David Garrett and Hilary Calvert. The election marked an improvement in ACTs fortunes, Hide retained his Epsom seat and ACTs share of the party vote increased to 3. 65%. The combination allowed the party five MPs in total, throughout 2009, there had been at least one reported ACT caucus coup attempt against Hides leadership, believed to have been led by Deputy Leader Heather Roy and Roger Douglas. However, it faltered when Prime Minister Key supported Hides retention, on 28 April 2011, Hide announced that he was resigning the ACT leadership in favour of former National Party leader and Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash who joined the party that morning. Brashs leadership was unanimously approved by the party board and parliamentary caucus on 30 April,3 News also obtained copies of the recording suggesting the two politicians were discussing issues related to ACT New Zealands leadership. In the New Zealand general election,2011, ACT fielded 55 list candidates, starting with new leader Don Brash, Catherine Isaac, Don Nicolson, John Banks, David Seymour and Chris Simmons. The election was a disappointment for ACT, with the partys worst election result since it began in 1996, nationwide, ACT received only 1. 07% of the party vote, placing eighth out of 13 on party vote percentage. As a result, ACT were only entitled to one seat in the new Parliament, subsequently, Don Brash announced that he had stepped down as leader during his speech on election night
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