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The New Zealand Cabinet functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The politics of New Zealand takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Monarchy. The constitution of New Zealand consists of a collection of statutes ( Acts of Parliament) Treaties Orders-in-Council, Letters patent, decisions of the In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> New Zealand For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Governor-General of New Zealand (Te Kawana Tianara o Aotearoa is the representative of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand (currently Queen Anand "Satch" Satyanand, PCNZM, QSO (born 22 July 1944) is the Governor-General of New Zealand. The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which legally serves the functions of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's Head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950 is the 37th and current Prime Minister of New Zealand. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and until 1951 the New Zealand Legislative Council The New Zealand House of Representatives is the Legislature of New Zealand. In New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body the New Zealand House of Representatives Margaret Wilson (born 20 May 1947) a New Zealand politician currently serves as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. The Official Opposition in New Zealand is usually the largest Political party or coalition which is not a member of the ruling Government. 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 New Zealand John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand politician and member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, representing Members of New Zealand 's House of Representatives, commonly called " Parliament " normally gain their parliamentary seats through nationwide general In 1993 New Zealand adopted Mixed member proportional as its electoral system for the House of Representatives after many years of First-past-the-post In New Zealand, an electorate is a voting district for Parliamentary elections Referendums (or referenda) are held only occasionally by the government of New Zealand. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State The Supreme Court of New Zealand is the highest court in the land and the Court of last resort in New Zealand, having formally come into existence at the beginning The Chief Justice of New Zealand is the head of the New Zealand judiciary and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias, GNZM, QC (born March 13 1949) is the Chief Justice of New Zealand, and is therefore the most The Court of Appeal of New Zealand, located in Wellington, is New Zealand ’s principal intermediate Appellate court. The High Court of New Zealand was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court until 1980 The District Courts of New Zealand ( Māori: Ngā Kōti ā Rōhe) are low-level Trial courts in New Zealand. The Māori Land Court ( Māori: Te Kooti Whenua Māori) is the specialist court in New Zealand that hears matters relating to Māori land The region is the top tier of Local government in New Zealand. Territorial authorities are the second tier of Local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The following is a list of New Zealand Politicians, both past and present New Zealand national politics feature a pervasive Party system. This page lists a number of articles relating to issues ideas and events in New Zealand politics. Māori politics is the Politics of the Māori people who were the original inhabitants of New Zealand and who are now the country's largest minority The foreign relations of New Zealand are oriented chiefly toward developed democratic nations and emerging Pacific economies Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The Governments of New Zealand are based on the Westminster system of Responsible government. The Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown serve as members of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's Head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in
All Cabinet ministers also serve as members of the Executive Council, which "advises" the Governor-General. The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which legally serves the functions of the Cabinet. The Governor-General of New Zealand (Te Kawana Tianara o Aotearoa is the representative of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand (currently Queen
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Legislative basis
No legislative act established the Cabinet: rather, it exists purely by constitutional convention. This convention carries sufficient weight for many official declarations and regulations to refer to the Cabinet, and a government department exists with responsibility for supporting it (the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of New Zealand (often known by its acronym DPMC) is the department charged with supporting the Prime Minister Although Cabinet lacks any direct legislative framework for its existence, the Cabinet Manual has become the official document which governs its functions, and on which its convention rests.
The structure of Cabinet has as its basis the formal institution known as the Executive Council. The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which legally serves the functions of the Cabinet. Most Ministers hold membership of both bodies, but some Executive Councillors — known as "ministers outside Cabinet" — do not have Cabinet positions.
The convention of members of the Executive Council meeting separately from the Governor began during Edward Stafford's first tenure as Premier (1856-1861). The Governor-General of New Zealand (Te Kawana Tianara o Aotearoa is the representative of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand (currently Queen Sir Edward William Stafford, GCMG ( 23 April 1819 - 2 February 1901) served as Premier of New Zealand on The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's Head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in Stafford, a long-time advocate of responsible government in New Zealand, believed the colonial government should have full control over all its affairs, without the intervention of the Governor. Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster Because the Governor chaired the Executive Council, Stafford intentionally met with his ministers without the Governor present.
Powers
The lack of formal legislation establishing Cabinet leaves the powers of its members loosely defined. However, convention regarding the Cabinet's authority has considerable force, and generally proves strong enough to bind its participants. Theoretically, each minister operates independently, having received a ministerial warrant over a certain field from the Crown (represented by the Governor-General). However, because the Governor-General can withdraw warrants on the Prime Minister's recommendation, the system can compel ministers to act within certain framework.
Cabinet itself acts as the accepted forum for establishing this framework. Ministers will jointly discuss the policy which the government as a whole will pursue, and any minister who does not exercise their respective powers in a manner compatible with Cabinet's decision risks losing those powers. This has become known as the doctrine of collective responsibility. Cabinet collective responsibility is constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster System that members of the Cabinet must publicly Problems can arise when the Prime Minister breaches collective responsibility, as occurred in 1988 when David Lange spoke out against a Cabinet decision which supported Roger Douglas's radical economic reforms. David Russell Lange, ONZ, CH (who pronounced his name ˈlɒŋi long-ee) (4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005 served as Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir Roger Owen Douglas (born 5 December 1937) a New Zealand politician formerly served as a senior Cabinet minister The Cabinet cannot have the Prime Minister removed in the way that it can dismiss ordinary ministers, and Prime-Ministerial power remains secure unless the governing party or coalition itself decides to act.
Membership
Currently, significant ministers include:
- the Prime Minister
- the Deputy Prime Minister
- the Minister of Finance
- the Minister of Foreign Affairs (usually a member of Cabinet)
- the Attorney-General
Other Ministers include (with linked lists of past ministers):
- the Minister of Defence
- the Minister of Education
- the Minister of Health
- the Minister of Justice
- the Minister of Railways
- the Minister of Māori Affairs
- the Minister of Transport
- the Minister for Building and Construction
- the Minister of Housing
Styles of address of members
Compare The Honourable and The Right Honourable. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's Head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the Government of New Zealand. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand. The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office and has responsibility for supervising The Minister of Defence is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand military and the Ministry of Defence The Minister of Education is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the country's schools and is in charge of the Ministry The Minister of Health is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand Ministry of Health and the District The Minister of Justice is a minister in the government of New Zealand. The Minister of Railways was the minister in the government responsible for the New Zealand Railways Department 1895–1981 the New Zealand Railways Corporation The Minister of Māori Affairs is the minister of the New Zealand government with broad responsibility for government policy towards Māori, the first inhabitants The Ministry of Transport (In Maori: Te Manatū Waka) is the New Zealand Government's principal transport policy adviser The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable (abbreviated to " The Hon The Right Honourable (abbreviated as The Rt Hon) is an Honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain
Committees
A Cabinet Committee comprises a subset of the larger Cabinet, consisting of a number of ministers who have responsibility in related areas of policy. Cabinet Committees go into considerably more detail than can be achieved at regular Cabinet meetings, discussing issues which do not need the input of ministers holding unrelated portfolios.
Cabinet Committees will often discuss matters referred to them by Cabinet itself, and then report back the results of their deliberation. This can sometimes become a powerful tool for advancing certain policies, as was demonstrated in the Lange government. Roger Douglas, Minister of Finance, and his allies succeeded in dominating the finance committee, enabling them to determine what it recommended to Cabinet. The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the Government of New Zealand. The official recommendation of the finance committee was much harder for his opponents to fight than his individual claims in Cabinet would be. Douglas was able to pass measures that, had Cabinet deliberated on them itself rather than pass them to Committee, would have been defeated.
Currently eight standing Cabinet Committees exist, of varying importance:
- Policy Committee
- Economic Development Committee
- Social Development Committee
- Legislation Committee
- Government Expenditure and Administration Committee
- Appointments and Honours Committee
- External Relations and Defence Committee
- Domestic and External Security Coordination Committee
Other Cabinet Committees may emerge on a temporary basis, with the purpose of investigating an issue of relevance at the time. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
Current members
The table below lists the twenty current members of Cabinet. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Ministers appear in their official order of seniority along with the portfolios and responsibilities they hold.
| Incumbent | Portfolios and responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Helen Clark
(Labour) |
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| Michael Cullen
(Labour) |
|
| Jim Anderton |
|
| Phil Goff
(Labour) |
|
| Annette King
(Labour) |
|
| Pete Hodgson
(Labour) |
|
| Parekura Horomia
(Labour) |
|
| Chris Carter
(Labour) |
|
| David Cunliffe
(Labour) |
|
| Trevor Mallard
(Labour) |
|
| Ruth Dyson
(Labour) |
|
| Lianne Dalziel
(Labour) |
|
| David Parker
(Labour) |
|
| Nanaia Mahuta
(Labour) |
|
| Clayton Cosgrove
(Labour) |
|
| Rick Barker
(Labour) |
|
| Damien O'Connor
(Labour) |
|
| Steve Chadwick
(Labour) |
|
| Maryan Street
(Labour) |
|
| Shane Jones
(Labour) |
|
Ministers outside Cabinet
| Incumbent | Portfolios and responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Judith Tizard
(Labour) |
|
| Harry Duynhoven
(Labour) |
|
| Mita Ririnui
(Labour) |
|
| Luamanuvao Winnie Laban
(Labour) |
|
| Mahara Okeroa
(Labour) |
|
| Darren Hughes
(Labour) |
|
Ministers outside Cabinet from other parties with confidence-and-supply agreements
| Incumbent | Portfolios and responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Winston Peters |
|
| Peter Dunne |
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