New Select Committee Rooms
Parliament has opened a new multi-function facility, for use primarily as a venue for select committee meetings. Committee members and staff, officials, large numbers of submitters, the media, and the public can now be accommodated without congestion.
The space was previously used as a temporary debating chamber while Parliament House was refurbished in the early 1990s, and has served various purposes since, including a spell as the National Portrait Gallery. It has now been comprehensively refurbished, for use as one very large committee room, or two smaller rooms which can be used simultaneously. There are also ancillary facilities such as a breakout meeting room, a kitchen, waiting areas, a parenting room, and extensive storage space so that furniture can be easily reconfigured. It is accessed via the main entrance of Bowen House on the corner of Lambton Quay although its address is No 1 The Terrace.
The facility occupies two levels, the lower one holding the meeting rooms, with space for officials and submitters. The upper level consists of a public gallery. It is encased in glass, and when meetings are open to the public they can hear the proceedings via an audio feed.
The architects consulted staff and members of Parliament extensively on the facilities, furniture, and equipment that should be provided. The committee rooms are equipped with up-to-date technology, and the furniture is designed to be easily cleared so the rooms can be used flexibly. If necessary, the entire space could be easily reconfigured as a substitute debating chamber.
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2007 House sitting programme
The House has decided the days on which it will meet in 2007. You can now view the calendar of sitting days via the ‘This week’ link.
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Electronic Submissions
People making submissions to Parliament are now able to make their submissions online to two select committees, as part of a pilot of a new information management system. The Commerce Committee and the Justice and Electoral Committee are participating in the pilot of the eCommittee system.
Using the new online submission facility, submitters can upload electronic documents or type a brief submission on the form provided, rather than sending copies of their submissions in hard copy, for the two pilot select committees.
A list of all the items of business on which select committees are inviting submissions is available on the submissions called for page. To make a submission online to the Justice and Electoral Committee or the Commerce Committee, follow the link for the relevant item of business.
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Enhanced search access for parliamentary debates (Hansard)
Enhanced online searching has now made it quicker and easier to locate information in Hansard.
This includes speeches by particular members of Parliament or on specific topics, debates on bills, and questions for oral answer. The new search options apply to Hansard from 2003 onwards.
View options for searching Hansard
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View the full proceedings of Parliament here
People interested in watching Parliament in action can now view the full proceedings here
The streamed un-edited coverage was launched smoothly on 17 July.
Proceedings can now be viewed from question time at 2 pm on sitting days through debates and the consideration of legislation.
House proceedings will be streamed live on this site, www.parliament.nz, whenever the House is sitting.
For details of sitting times you can check the House sitting programme
The button on the right side of the screen named broadcasting is the entry-point for the streamed service.
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Dominion Day centennial
One hundred years ago on 26 September 1907
New Zealand
became a Dominion.
In 1907, following a debate in the House the New Zealand Parliament asked Britain that New Zealand’s status be changed from Colony to Dominion. A proclamation was issued that New Zealand would become a Dominion with effect from 26 September 1907.
At 11 a.m. on 26 September Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward read the proclamation from the main steps of Parliament Buildings. Following the proclamation HMS Challenger in the harbour fired a salute, the band played a stirring march and Maori performed the haka Ka Mate.
The change of status had no constitutional effect, but it was seen as a very significant symbolic step towards nationhood. The day was a one-off public holiday, and public buildings were festooned with flags and colourfully illuminated by night.
On the nights of 25 & 26 September 2007, to celebrate the centenary of Dominion Day, the Parliamentary Library building will again be illuminated.
For further information on how the day was observed in 1907 and beyond, until it was overtaken by ANZAC Day, see the Downloads panel.
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Parliament TV screens on Freeview and SKY TV
Monday 8 October 2007
Television viewers will now be able to view live, the full, unedited proceedings of Parliament on Freeview 22 and Sky TV Channel 94.
Parliament TV will broadcast all proceedings from the debating chamber in full from 9 October via both television companies.
Debates from the Chamber are a new Freeview service.
Sky TV has previously broadcast Parliament’s Question Time. Now its viewers will be able to tune in to the full proceedings of Parliament.
The proceedings of Parliament can also be viewed here and heard on Radio New Zealand’s AM network or as a live audio stream.
View sitting times.
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Parliament Open Day draws crowds
Close to 4,000 people took the opportunity to see inside the Parliamentary Buildings at the annual Open Day on Sunday 4 November.
Queues built up in the morning waiting for the doors to open at 10am. A stream of individuals and families made their way around Parliament’s grounds and buildings throughout the day. The last visitors were admitted at 3.30pm.
The Open Day gave people the opportunity to visit places normally off-limits during regular tours and to wander and view items and rooms at their own pace and in their own time.
The visitor route included the floor of the Debating Chamber, inside an MP’s office, talks in the Beehive Theatrette and entry to select committee rooms and other corridors – some of which are usually only open to MPs and staff.
The strong turn-out, including a significant number of families, helped create a positive community atmosphere and a fun, informative experience for visitors and staff.
Visitors had the chance to enter a quiz, with the questions highlighting key displays on Open Day and Parliamentary highlights. The quiz winners were:
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Frances Birse, Remuera, Auckland
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.Rachel Cunningham, Eastbourne, Wellington
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Gabby Wu, Wadestown, Wellington
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Marek Mendrum, Island Bay, Wellington
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Joshua Smith, Lower Hutt, Wellington
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Parliament TV screens on Freeview, SKY TV and TelstraClear
4 December 2007
TelstraClear’s viewers today join FreeView and Sky TV watchers in being able to access Parliament TV.
Like Sky TV, TelstraClear’s digital viewers will be able to view live, the full, unedited proceedings of Parliament on Channel 94. Parliament TV is available on Freeview 22.
Parliament TV is a new service for TelstraClear and its availability has been brought forward due to public demand.
TelstraClear is a cable TV service available in Christchurch, Wellington and on the Kapiti Coast. It has 44,000 analogue and digital customers. Only those with digital receivers will be able to view Parliament TV.
The proceedings of Parliament can also be viewed here and heard on Radio New Zealand’s AM network or as a live audio stream.
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One hundredth anniversary of 1907 fire at Parliament
The most disastrous natural event in the New Zealand Parliament’s history took place on 11 December 1907. In the early hours, a serious fire consumed most of Parliament Buildings.
The nightwatchman was unable to prevent it spreading through the old wooden parts of the buildings, including the two chambers. The fire brigade was only able to slow its progress and attempt to protect the library. Parliamentary staff and members of the public rescued valuable portraits and began to remove thousands of books from the library.
By the time daylight came the fire had wrought its worst: the library had been saved by its fire walls and fire door but the remainder of the buildings had been devastated. Parliamentarians were stunned at the conflagration and the country felt the loss as well.
The familiar picturesque and rather higgledy-piggledy Gothic profile on the ‘hill’ had largely disappeared, along with Parliament’s symbolic authority in the mace. Parliament had to move across the Sydney Street gully (now disappeared) and into Government House for the next ten years while a new Parliament House was built.
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Be in quick to see Parliament’s Debating Chamber!
The Debating Chamber will be closed once Parliament has adjourned for the summer break, due to buildings maintenance.
Tours of Parliament will still include the same information about the House of Representatives, the place where our MPs carry out the business of Parliament. This will be done with the help of displays, props and commentary in our Legislative Council Chamber, the site of New Zealand’s former Upper House. DVD footage of MPs in action will also be showing in the Visitor Centre.
Public tours of Parliament are offered hourly and we are open throughout the holiday period except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and 2nd January.
Half hourly tours are run between regular tour times when demand is high.
This is a particularly busy period, so please ensure you arrive at least 15 minutes prior so you can proceed through the screening area, and deposit your bags, cell phones and cameras in our bag check facility.
After your tour, you can visit our Parliament Shop to purchase a memento of your visit or you can relax and watch Parliament related DVDs. Listen to historic speeches and view images of Parliament over the years at our audio visual display, or chat with Tour Guides about any aspect of the tour or Parliament in general.
Restroom facilities and cold drinking water are available in the Visitor Centre. Maps of Wellington and information about other attractions are also on hand.
For more information on tour times and contact details view the Tours and Educational Visits page.
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Sir Edmund Hillary KG, ONZ, KBE
Following the death of Sir Edmund Hillary a condolence book is available at Parliament for members of the public to sign. People wishing to sign the book should use the public entry to the Beehive and report to the main reception desk on the ground floor of the Beehive. This opportunity will be available from 7am until 11pm every day this week.
For directions on how to get to Parliament view the Find Us page.
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New Zealand Legislation website makes accessing the law easier
The New Zealand Legislation website, from today, provides free public access to Acts, Regulations, Bills, and Supplementary Order Papers. It is easy to use, comprehensive, and provides legislation in an up-to-date form.
The new website replaces the Interim Website of New Zealand Legislation. However the Interim Website will continue to be available during the transition at the new URL of http://interim.legislation.govt.nz. The transition period is to enable the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) to incorporate recent legislative amendments and to progressively add the collection of Bills currently before the House of Representatives or its select committees.
The New Zealand Parliament website will continue to provide Bills and Supplementary Order Papers by linking to the New Zealand Legislation website where appropriate.
For more information, see the media release from the Attorney-General, and About this site on the New Zealand Legislation website.
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House to resume sittings
The House will sit for the first time this year at 2.00 pm on Tuesday, 12 February. The first sitting day of each year usually begins with the Prime Minister making a statement to the House outlining the Government’s legislative and policy intentions for the year. The Leader of the Opposition then opens a 14-hour debate on the Prime Minister’s statement and its contents. This debate would normally extend into the following week. Questions for oral answer are not asked on the first sitting day each year.
After the first day, the House follows the sitting programme adopted at the end of last year unless it decides otherwise (see the House sitting programme for 2008). The Wednesday of the second week would usually be a Members’ day, unless the debate on the Prime Minister’s statement is still in progress.
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Parliamentary tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary
When the House resumed on Tuesday afternoon, 12 February, tributes were given for the late Sir Edmund Percival Hillary KG, ONZ, KBE – the first man to climb Everest.
Sir Edmund died in Auckland on 11 January 2008, after a lifetime of tireless and dedicated efforts to assist the Sherpa people of Nepal by fundraising and building hospitals, schools and other essential infrastructure.
You can read what was said in the official record of parliamentary debates, known as Hansard.
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Improved access to Parliament TV
Have you missed Parliament’s question time?
Parliament TV is now replaying question time and Thursday’s debates, enabling viewers who miss the live coverage to watch later in the evening.
Question time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will be replayed twice the same evening: first during Parliament’s dinner break from 6 pm to 7.30 pm and second after the House has risen at 10 pm. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays there will be live coverage from the Chamber from 7.30 pm to 10 pm. On Thursdays, when the House does not sit in the evening, all proceedings from 2 pm to 6 pm will be replayed from 6 pm.
The replaying of question time and Thursday’s debates aims to improve access to Parliament for those people unable to view Parliament TV live.
Parliament TV can be viewed on Freeview 22, Sky 94 and Telstra Clear 94. It is also webcast here. Replays will also be webcast.
House sitting programme.
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Electorate Profiles
New, updated electorate profiles are now available on this website.
Electorate profiles provide statistical information about the people, households, schools and businesses in each of New Zealand's 70 electorates, laid out in clear tables and maps.
Developed by the Parliamentary Library, the updated profiles contain data from the 2006 census and the 2007 electorate boundary changes and are in a new format that will make them much easier to navigate and use.
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Visit Parliament this Queen’s Birthday weekend
Hourly tours of Parliament take you through the House of Representatives, Select Committee processes, Parliament Buildings and its artworks. The Debating Chamber is available during restricted times from the 30th May due to Buildings maintenance. You can contact the Visitor Centre on the day of your visit to find out more about these restrictions.
We are open daily except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, 2nd January, Waitangi Day and Good Friday.
Queens Birthday tour times are:
*Extra tours will be held at 11.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday to coincide with Tribute 08 celebrations.
After your tour, you can buy a memento of your visit at the parliament shop or you can relax and watch DVDs about different aspects of Parliament. Listen to historic speeches and view images of Parliament over the years at our audio visual display, or chat with Tour Guides about any aspect of the tour or Parliament in general.
Restroom facilities and cold drinking water are available in the Visitor Centre. Maps of Wellington and information about other attractions are also on hand.
If you can’t visit us in person check out the virtual tour on this website.
Visit the virtual tour page.
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Replays on Parliament TV
Have you missed Parliament’s question time?
Parliament TV replays question time and Thursday’s debates, enabling viewers who miss the live coverage to watch later in the evening.
Question time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays is replayed twice the same evening: first during Parliament’s dinner break from 6 pm to 7.30 pm and second after the House has risen at 10 pm. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays there will be live coverage from the Chamber from 7.30 pm to 10 pm. On Thursdays, when the House does not sit in the evening, all proceedings from 2 pm to 6 pm will be replayed from 6 pm.
The replaying of question time and Thursday’s debates improves access to Parliament for those people unable to view Parliament TV live.
Parliament TV can be viewed on Freeview 22, Sky 94 and Telstra Clear 94. It is also webcast here. Replays will also be webcast.
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Daily progress of business in the House
Do you want to know what happened in the House yesterday? If so, go to the ‘Daily Progress in the House’ page.
This page tells you about bills introduced and the progress of business before the House that day. It is a useful quick reference guide if you are following the progress of particular items. It will also keep you up to date with House business.
If you want to know what is coming up in the House, you can view the latest Order Paper , or the Business Statement, which covers the next sitting week.
To see the current status of any bill from the 48th Parliament you can view the Progress of Legislation schedule of bills.
You can find these items through the ‘Parliamentary Business’ or ‘This Week’ links on the left.
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