User:Sladew/GoNZ

Main Description
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Legislature
The Parliament makes the law.

Parliament
Unicameral system with a parliament consisting of a single house, The House of Representatives.

Executive
(Ministers of the Crown also known as the Government) administers the law

Ministerial Portfolios
As at October 2010

Judiciary
Judiciary interprets the law through the courts.

Head of State
New Zealand’s head of State is the Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand. The Governor-General is the Queen’s representative in New Zealand.

Exisiting
The Government of New Zealand, formally (albeit rarely referred to as) Her Majesty's Government in New Zealand, is based on the Westminster system of responsible government. Executive government in New Zealand is based on the principle that "The Queen reigns, but the government rules, so long as it has the support of the House of Representatives". The head of state (the Queen, represented in New Zealand by the Governor-General) follows the advice of the Government and plays only a formal role in the executive, except with respect to the formation and dismissal of governments and the use of the reserve powers.

History
While New Zealand had been granted self-government in 1853 following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, the first government formed along political lines did not appear until 1891, when John Ballance formed the Liberal Party and the First Liberal Government.

Head of Government
The Head of Government in New Zealand is the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is de facto indirectly elected, in that they are not directly elected by the people of New Zealand but become Prime Minister by (usually) becoming the leader of the largest party in Parliament following a general election. Formally, they are appointed and can be dismissed by the Governor-General of New Zealand.