New Zealand government proposes amendment on four-year parliamentary term

The coalition government is to introduce legislation on a four-year Parliamentary term, subject to a referendum, with all three parties supporting it to a select committee. The legislation will have a caveat, designed by the ACT Party as part of its coalition deal, that the term would only extend to four years if there were greater checks and balances on the government of the day. It would mean unless the make-up of select committees was made proportionate to non-Executive members of Parliament, the term would remain at three years. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith made the announcement today saying: "As stipulated in the National-Act coalition agreement, the Bill is modelled on the ACT Party's draft Constitution (Enabling a 4-Year Term) Amendment Bill." "The main condition is that membership of certain select committees is calculated in a way that is proportionate to the non-Executive parliamentary party membership of the House."
Read the full article here: Otago Daily Times