New Zealand Parliament Quiz

Study Notes

A Member of Parliament (MP) is a law maker, debater, and legislator.
The Prime Minister (PM) is the head of the Parliament and the head of the Government, Christopher Luxon is the current PM.
The Governor General represents the King, the current Governor General is the Honourable Cindy Kiro.
The Head of the Opposition checks and balances the government, Chris Hipkins is the current Leader of the Opposition.
The Speaker of the House leads the meetings in the Parliament, Gerry Brownlee is the current Speaker of the House.
The Prime Minister, Speaker, and Leader of the Opposition all sit in Parliament.

New Zealand has an election every 3 years.
You vote for two things during an election: 1 Member of Parliament and 1 Party List.
There are two types of electorates: General and Māori.
You can vote in either an electorate based on your residency.

The National Party is the current government, their leader is Chris Luxon, and their colour is blue.
The Labour Party is the current opposition party, their leader is Chris Hipkins, and their colour is red.
The ACT Party is led by David Seymour and their colour is yellow.
The New Zealand First Party is led by Winston Peters and their colour is black.

MMP stands for Mixed-Member Proportional, it combines proportional representation with individual electorates.
FPTP stands for First-Past-the-Post, it is a winner-takes-all system in single electorates.
MMP ensures proportional representation, while FPTP favors majority wins.
New Zealand switched to MMP in 1996.
The switch was made to address unfair representation and disproportionate power.
MMP has led to a more diverse Parliament, fairer representation, and the rise of coalition governments.

Parliament House is located in Wellington and houses the debating chamber where MPs sit and debate laws.
Parliament House also has a Grand Hall, a Pacific room, and a Māori Affairs Committee Room.
Parliament House was built in 1907 after the previous building was damaged by fire.
The Beehive houses the offices of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers, as well as restaurants and other rooms.
The Beehive was built between 1969 and 1979.
The Parliamentary Library provides research services for MPs, it has been damaged by fire twice in 1907 and 1992.
Bowen House provides office space for support staff, it was built between 1988 and 1990.
Bowen House was used as a temporary Parliament when Parliament House and Library were refurbished.
There is also a virtual debating chamber.