Introduction

• 1 Purpose
• 2 Interpretation
• 3 Definitions
• 4 Suspension of Standing Orders
• 5 Limitation on moving suspension
• 6 Amendment or revocation of Standing Orders
• 7 Functions of Standing Orders Committee

Journals and records

• 8 Clerk to note proceedings
• 9 Official report
• 10 Custody of Journals and records
• 11 Disposal of records

Opening of Parliament

• 12 Proceedings on meeting of new Parliament
• 13 Further provision for swearing-in of members
• 14 Proceedings on day of State Opening

Election of Speaker

• 15 Clerk acts as chairperson
• 16 Nomination of members
• 17 One member nominated
• 18 Two members nominated
• 19 More than two members nominated
• 20 No proxies permitted
• 21 Election of Speaker
• 22 Adjournment following election of Speaker
• 23 Speaker to lay claim to privileges of House
• 24 Speaker reports to House
• 25 Vacancy in Speakership

Other presiding officers

• 26 Deputy Speaker
• 27 Powers of Deputy Speaker
• 28 Assistant Speakers
• 29 Term of office
• 30 Party leader or whip not to be presiding officer
• 31 Vacancy in office
• 32 Absence of Speaker
• 33 Temporary Speaker

Parties

• 34 Recognition of parties
• 35 Notification of party details
• 36 Leader of the Opposition

Seating and attendance

• 37 Seating
• 38 Minister to be present

Strangers

• 39 Strangers may be ordered to withdraw
• 40 Effect of order that strangers withdraw
• 41 Strangers interrupting proceedings
• 42 Speaker controls admission

Sittings

• 43 Sittings of the House
• 44 Broadcasting
• 45 Appointment of Monday, Friday or Saturday as sitting day
• 46 No Sunday sitting
• 47 Adjournment of House
• 48 Speaker may suspend sitting or adjourn House
• 49 Conclusion of a sitting
• 50 Interruption when House in committee
• 51 Interruption deferred when vote in progress
• 52 Resumption of business
• 53 Early sitting or postponement of sitting during adjournment
• 54 Extended sitting hours
• 55 Urgency
• 56 Effect of urgency
• 57 Extraordinary urgency
• 58 Effect of extraordinary urgency
• 59 No other business except with leave

Business of the House

• 60 Prayers and Mace
• 61 Order of business
• 62 Order Paper
• 63 Types of business
• 64 General business
• 65 Government orders of the day
• 66 Arrangement of Government orders of the day
• 67 Private and local orders of the day
• 68 Arrangement of private and local orders of the day
• 69 Members’ orders of the day
• 70 Arrangement of Members’ orders of the day
• 71 Orders of the day not reached
• 72 Discharge or postponement of order of the day
• 73 Tuesdays and Thursdays
• 74 Wednesdays

Business Committee

• 75 Business Committee
• 76 Basis of making decisions in Business Committee
• 77 Business of House
• 78 Determination of Business Committee
• 79 Sitting programme

Reinstatement of business

• 80 Reinstatement of business

Maintenance of order

• 81 Speaker maintains order
• 82 Members to acknowledge Chair
• 83 Members to be seated
• 84 Members to stand as Speaker leaves Chamber
• 85 Points of order
• 86 Disorderly conduct
• 87 Naming of member
• 88 Member may be suspended
• 89 Naming in committee of whole House
• 90 Time during which member is suspended
• 91 Refusal to obey Speaker’s direction
• 92 Rights forfeited by suspended member
• 93 House’s right to hold in contempt

Motions

• 94 Notice necessary before motion moved
• 95 Giving of notice of motion
• 96 Examination of notices
• 97 Disposal of Members’ notices of motion
• 98 Form and content of notices
• 99 No seconder required
• 100 Question proposed on motion
• 101 Rescission of resolution

Rules of debate

• 102 Speaker calls upon member to speak
• 103 Factors to be taken into account by Speaker in calling members
• 104 Members to address Speaker
• 105 Speeches in English or Māori
• 106 Member may speak only once to question
• 107 Misrepresentation
• 108 Relevancy
• 109 Visual aids
• 110 Anticipating discussion
• 111 Proceedings of committees not to be referred to
• 112 Matters awaiting judicial decision
• 113 Application of prohibition of reference to matters awaiting judicial decision
• 114 Offensive references to House or judiciary
• 115 References to Sovereign or Governor-General
• 116 Offensive or disorderly words
• 117 Personal reflections
• 118 Time limits of speeches and debates

Rules for amendments

• 119 General rules
• 120 Amendment to be relevant
• 121 Amendments to be in writing
• 122 Question proposed on amendment
• 123 Debate on main question and amendment
• 124 Amendment to amendment
• 125 Member who has already spoken may speak to new amendment
• 126 Member who has moved amendment may not move further amendment
• 127 Questions put

Interruption of debate

• 128 Interruption of member speaking
• 129 Interruption of debate

Adjournment of debate

• 130 Adjournment of debate
• 131 Member entitled to speak first on resumption
• 132 If motion negatived mover may speak

Closure of debate

• 133 Closure
• 134 Acceptance of closure motion
• 135 Effect of carrying of closure

Putting the question

• 136 Question is put when debate concluded
• 137 Voice vote
• 138 Party vote
• 139 Personal vote on conscience issue
• 140 Procedure for party vote
• 141 Personal vote following party vote
• 142 Procedure for personal vote
• 143 Members to remain in Chamber
• 144 One minute bell for personal votes in certain cases
• 145 Member acting as teller must continue to act unless excused by Speaker
• 146 If no teller no personal vote allowed
• 147 Records of personal votes
• 148 Fewer than 20 members participating
• 149 Errors and mistakes
• 150 Ties
• 151 Proxy voting
• 152 Casting of proxy vote

Examination by order of the House

• 153 Issue and service of summons
• 154 Examination on oath
• 155 Conduct of examination

Responses

• 156 Application for response
• 157 Consideration by Speaker
• 158 Speaker decides against incorporation
• 159 Speaker decides response should be incorporated

Pecuniary and other specified interests

• 160 Pecuniary and other specified interests

Declaration of financial interests

• 161 Financial interests
• 162 Declaration of financial interest
• 163 Speaker decides if interest held

Messages and addresses

• 164 Messages from Governor-General
• 165 Preparation and adoption of addresses
• 166 Presentation of addresses

Committees of the whole House

• 167 House resolves itself into committee
• 168 Mace placed under Table
• 169 Presiding officers
• 170 Conduct of proceedings
• 171 Conduct of examination
• 172 Committee to consider only matter referred
• 173 Instructions to a committee of the whole House
• 174 Chairperson may suspend proceedings in certain situations
• 175 Report to take Speaker’s ruling
• 176 Resumption of proceedings after suspension
• 177 Committee may not adjourn
• 178 Motions to report progress
• 179 Report
• 180 Adoption of report

Establishment of committees

• 181 Establishment and life of select committees
• 182 Membership of committees
• 183 Non-voting members
• 184 Changes in membership

Subject select committees

• 185 Subject select committees
• 186 Functions of subject select committees

Meetings of committees

• 187 Time for meetings
• 188 Meetings on Fridays
• 189 Place of meeting
• 190 Meetings outside Wellington area
• 191 Meetings within Wellington area

Powers of committees

• 192 Seeking evidence
• 193 Exercise of power to send for persons, papers and records
• 194 Application to Speaker for summons
• 195 Subcommittees
• 196 Criminal wrongdoing
• 197 Charges against members

Chairperson and deputy chairperson

• 198 Chairperson and deputy chairperson
• 199 Absence of chairperson
• 200 Transfer of powers of chairperson during meeting

Conduct of proceedings

• 201 Conduct of proceedings
• 202 Notice of meeting
• 203 Giving notice of business
• 204 Question previously decided
• 205 Names of members present
• 206 Quorum
• 207 Members may be present
• 208 Advisers
• 209 Attendance by strangers
• 210 Voting
• 211 Disorder

General provisions for evidence

• 212 Written submissions
• 213 Return of evidence
• 214 Release of submissions
• 215 Private evidence
• 216 Secret evidence
• 217 Application for evidence to be private or secret
• 218 Access to information

Hearing of evidence

• 219 Public attendance at hearings
• 220 Matters of concern before giving evidence
• 221 Conduct of examination
• 222 Relevance of questions
• 223 Objections to answer
• 224 Committee consideration of objections
• 225 Counsel
• 226 Witnesses’ expenses
• 227 Evidence on oath
• 228 Transcripts of evidence

Natural justice

• 229 Disqualification for apparent bias
• 230 Complaints of apparent bias
• 231 Evidence containing allegations
• 232 Access to information by person whose reputation maybe seriously damaged
• 233 Irrelevant or unjustified allegations
• 234 Information about allegation that may seriously damage reputation
• 235 Responding where allegation may seriously damage reputation

Information on proceedings

• 236 Confidentiality of proceedings
• 237 Confidentiality of reports
• 238 Confidentiality of lapsed business
• 239 Information on committee’s proceedings

Reports

• 240 Interim reports
• 241 Special reports
• 242 Minority views
• 243 Findings
• 244 Reports to be signed
• 245 Day fixed for presentation of reports
• 246 Presentation of reports
• 247 Reports set down
• 248 Consideration of reports
• 249 Government responses to select committee reports

Form of bills

• 250 Classification of bills
• 251 Enacting formula in bills
• 252 Title
• 253 Date of commencement
• 254 Explanatory notes
• 255 Private bills
• 256 Temporary law
• 257 Bills to relate to one subject area
• 258 Speaker to scrutinise bills

Omnibus bills

• 259 Types of omnibus bills that may be introduced
• 260 Other omnibus bills

General provisions

• 261 Same bill or amendment not to be proposed
• 262 New Zealand Bill of Rights
• 263 Entrenched provisions
• 264 Copies of bills
• 265 Passing of bills
• 266 Cognate bills
• 267 Special rules in respect of Appropriation and Imprest Supply bills
• 268 Member’s bill may be adopted by Government
• 269 Private bill
• 270 Local bills and Local Legislation bills
• 271 Withdrawal of local bills and private bills

Introduction

• 272 Introduction of Government bills
• 273 Introduction of Members’ bills
• 274 Notice of proposal of Members’ bills
• 275 Fair copies of proposed Members’ bills
• 276 Support for proposed Members’ bills
• 277 Ballot for Members’ bills
• 278 Introduction of local bills and private bills
• 279 Announcement of introduction of bills
• 280 Introduction of Appropriation bills, Imprest Supply bills and bills under urgency

First reading

• 281 Bills set down for first reading
• 282 First reading
• 283 Speech of member moving first reading

Select committee consideration

• 284 Reference to a select committee
• 285 Determination of committee to consider bill
• 286 Instruction to select committee
• 287 Select committee consideration of bills
• 288 Recommendation of amendments
• 289 Opinions from other committees
• 290 Select committee may divide bill

Select committee reports

• 291 Time for report
• 292 Select committee reports

Second reading

• 293 Second reading
• 294 Questions put at conclusion of debate
• 295 Next stage of bill
• 296 Adoption of amendments

Committee stage

• 297 Arrangements for consideration in committee
• 298 Consideration in committee
• 299 Order of considering bill
• 300 Numbers only read
• 301 Questions to be proposed in committee
• 302 Amendments may be placed on Supplementary Order Paper
• 303 Consideration of amendments
• 304 Amendments of member in charge
• 305 Committee may divide bill
• 306 Adoption of report on bill

Third reading and passing

• 307 Recommittal
• 308 Third reading
• 309 Members’ bills, local bills and private bills affecting rights or prerogatives
• 310 Bill passed
• 311 Bills passed to be printed fair, authenticated and presented for Royal assent
• 312 Verbal or formal amendments
• 313 After Royal assent given

Delegated legislation

• 314 Functions of Regulations Review Committee
• 315 Drawing attention to a regulation
• 316 Procedure where complaint made concerning regulation
• 317 Disallowance motion does not lapse
• 318 Affirmative resolution procedure
• 319 Negative resolution procedure
• 320 Procedure for disallowance of immediate modification order

Government’s financial veto

• 321 Financial veto
• 322 Financial veto certificates
• 323 Application of financial veto rule to bills and motions
• 324 Application of financial veto rule to amendments to bills and changes to Votes
• 325 Notice of amendment to bill or change to Vote

Imprest Supply

• 326 Imprest Supply bills

The Budget

• 327 Budget policy statement
• 328 Delivery of the Budget
• 329 Budget debate
• 330 Fiscal strategy report and economic and fiscal update
• 331 Half-year economic and fiscal updates and statement on long-term fiscal position

Estimates

• 332 Referral of Estimates
• 333 Examination of Estimates
• 334 Estimates debate
• 335 Third reading of main Appropriation Bill

Supplementary Estimates

• 336 Examination of Supplementary Estimates
• 337 Passing of bill

Annual taxing provision

• 338 Debate on annual taxing provision

Financial review

• 339 Allocation of responsibility for conducting financial reviews
• 340 Select committees to conduct financial reviews
• 341 Review of reports on non-departmental appropriations
• 342 Appropriation (Financial Review) Bill
• 343 Financial review debate
• 344 Passing of Appropriation (Financial Review) Bill
• 345 Consideration of financial reviews of Crown entities, public organisations and State enterprises

Determination of Votes and financial reviews for debate

• 346 Determination of Votes and financial reviews for debate

Address in Reply

• 347 Motion for Address in Reply
• 348 Amendment to motion
• 349 Debate takes precedence

Debate on Prime Minister’s statement

• 350 Prime Minister’s statement
• 351 Debate on Prime Minister’s statement

Statements in the House

• 352 Ministerial statements
• 353 Comment on ministerial statement
• 354 Personal explanation
• 355 Response to misrepresentation during time for oral questions
• 356 Maiden and valedictory statements

Petitions

• 357 Addressed to House and contain request for action
• 358 To be in English or Māori
• 359 Communications concerning petition
• 360 Signatures
• 361 Signatures to be on sheet containing request
• 362 Petitions of corporations
• 363 Form of petition
• 364 Members to examine and certify petitions
• 365 Petitions to be delivered to Clerk
• 366 Petitions referred to select committees
• 367 Petitions not in order

Papers and publications

• 368 Presentation of papers
• 369 Parliamentary papers
• 370 Speaker controls publication
• 371 Translation of documents
• 372 Budget papers and Estimates
• 373 Documents quoted by Minister
• 374 Documents tabled by leave

Questions to Ministers and members

• 375 Questions to Ministers
• 376 Questions to other members
• 377 Content of questions
• 378 Lodging of oral questions
• 379 Lodging and publication of written questions and replies
• 380 Time for oral questions
• 381 Asking question for oral answer
• 382 Replying to a question for oral answer
• 383 Contents of replies
• 384 Supplementary questions
• 385 Urgent questions

Debate on a matter of urgent public importance

• 386 Application for debate
• 387 Announcement and debate
• 388 Only one debate on same day

General debate

• 389 General debate each Wednesday

Whole of government directions

• 390 Whole of government directions

Civil defence

• 391 Civil defence

Officers of Parliament

• 392 Functions of Officers of Parliament Committee
• 393 Reports of Officers of Parliament

International treaties

• 394 Presentation and referral of treaties
• 395 National interest analysis
• 396 Select committee consideration of treaties
• 397 Reports by select committees on treaties

General procedures

Legislative procedures

Financial procedures

Non-legislative procedures

Introduction

• 1 Introduction

Part 1

• 2 Definitions
• 3 Duty to make initial return
• 4 Duty to make annual return
• 5 Contents of return relating to member’s position as at effective date of return
• 6 Relationship property settlements and debts owed by certain family members do not have to be disclosed
• 7 Short-term debts for supply of goods or services do not have to be disclosed
• 8 Contents of return relating to member’s activities for period ending on effective date of return
• 9 Period covered by return
• 10 Actual value, amount, or extent not required
• 11 Form of returns

Part 2

• 12 Register of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests of Members of Parliament
• 13 Office of Registrar
• 14 Functions of Registrar
• 15 Auditor-General’s review
• 16 Registrar’s inquiry
• 17 Information on Registrar’s inquiry
• 18 Registrar must publish summary of returns of current members of Parliament
• 19 Speaker must present copy of booklet to House of Representatives
• 20 Errors or omissions
• 21 Information about register
• 22 Responsibilities of members and Registrar

Private bills and local bills

• 1 Notice to be given
• 2 Form and content of notice
• 3 Publication of notice
• 4 Notice to persons with direct interest
• 5 Notice to constituency members of Parliament
• 6 Delivery of notices
• 7 Deposit and inspection of bill
• 8 Certification of deposit of bill
• 9 Bills dealing with land
• 10 Certification of deposit of plans
• 11 Forwarding of bills, plans, and other documents
• 12 Currency of proposed bill
• 13 Fees
• 14 Refunds
• 15 Declaration for private bill or local bill
• 16 Form and content of declaration for private bill or local bill
• 17 Examination and endorsement of bills and documents

Local legislation bills

• 18 Initiation of clauses in Local Legislation bills
• 19 Repeal of spent local legislation
• 20 Objections
• 21 Clauses provisionally approved by Minister may be included in bill
• 22 How further clauses dealt with
• 23 Provisional approval by Minister and report by committee essential

Part A: Rules for filming

Part B: Conditions for use of official television coverage