15 August 2017

Public invited to watch key milestone in election timeline

New Zealand’s 51st Parliament will be dissolved next week, marking the first step in holding the general election.

Parliament officially ends at 11am on Tuesday, 22 August 2017. The public is invited to watch the 15-minute ceremony on Parliament steps. If wet it will be held in the main foyer of Parliament House with very limited public access, but for the first time Parliament is streaming the dissolution ceremony live on Facebook at NZ Parliament.

Only the Queen of New Zealand or the Governor-General, acting on advice of the Prime Minister, has the power to dissolve Parliament.

A proclamation dissolving Parliament will be read out by Phillip O’Shea CNZM, CVO, KStJ, New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary to The Queen, as the authorised representative of the Governor-General, Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Patsy Reddy. The reading will be witnessed by Clerk of the House of Representatives David Wilson, the Deputy Clerk of the House, Rafael Gonzalez-Montero and the Clerk-Assistant Suze Jones.

The dissolution of Parliament takes place every three years at the end of each Parliamentary term. Parliament must be dissolved before the general election takes place.

After Parliament is dissolved, all business that is before the House of Representatives and select committee lapses. When the 52nd Parliament meets the House can decide to reinstate this business and it can continue its progress through the House.

The next step in the election process will be for the Governor-General to issue a writ directing the Chief Electoral Officer to conduct a general election of members of the House of Representatives. The writ will specify the latest day for the nomination of candidates, polling day and the latest day for the return of the writ with the name of elected constituency candidates.

The opening of the 52nd Parliament will take place after the general election.

For more details about the dissolution of Parliament:

• Read the dissolution page on the New Zealand Parliament website

• Check out the Election Timeline 2017 on the New Zealand Parliament website

ENDS

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