Links between the Italian and New Zealand parliaments

A delegation of members from the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Italy visited the New Zealand Parliament last week. The group are all members of the Italy – New Zealand Inter-Parliamentary Union Friendship Group, and were in Wellington to strengthen the ties between the two countries, and study New Zealand’s parliamentary system. Led by the Hon Emerenzio Barbieri, the delegation of three members of Parliament and the Italian Chief of Protocol met with Deputy Speaker Eric Roy, as well as other members of the New Zealand Parliament.

The delegation was hosted by both the New Zealand – Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group and the New Zealand Inter-Parliamentary Union group. The delegation was particularly interested in primary industries and viticulture, meeting with the Hon Nathan Guy, Associate Minister for Primary Industries, and with officials at the Ministry for Primary Industries. They also visited Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre near Carterton.

Hon Barbieri’s electorate is the area badly affected by the recent earthquakes in Italy, so he was interested to discuss earthquake recovery and to view the base isolators in Parliament House.

Italy has a bicameral parliamentary system, with the lower Chamber of Deputies and the upper Senate of the Republic, in contrast with New Zealand’s single House of Representatives.