Abstract
The concept of ‘the official opposition’ is central to Westminster parliamentary democracy, though discussion of opposition in democratic theory is distinctly absent. The official opposition refers to the largest party in parliament which does not form the government. Despite its Westminster origins, New Zealand’s parliamentary opposition has developed in its own unique way through a series of significant periods of political change. Most significant was the electoral change in 1996 with the transition away from the first-past-the-post system (FPP) to the mixed member proportional (MMP) representation electoral system. MMP has changed parliament in several ways, including changing the way governments are formed. Although there has been considerable research into the impacts of MMP, little attention has been paid to the way MMP has changed the nature of the opposition in New Zealand politics. This thesis asks whether the current formal rules of New Zealand’s institution of parliamentary opposition are fit-for-purpose in an MMP environment .
This thesis examines the place of opposition in democratic theory, the Westminster roots of the opposition, and the evolution of the opposition as an institution in New Zealand. It assesses the mechanics of modern opposition in New Zealand through the analysis of parliamentary practice and procedures using a new institutionalist lens. This approach considers the impact of critical junctures and path dependency on the modes of change in New Zealand’s parliamentary opposition.
This thesis concludes that the system surrounding the opposition in New Zealand politics has not kept pace with the changing nature of MMP politics. While parliament has become more diverse in terms of political parties representation in the House, the roles, responsibilities and resources associated with ‘the opposition’ are still connected to the legacy of the two-party system, as a result of path dependence from the reduction of parties in parliament in the 1930s. Path dependency and incremental change led to a failure to modernise the institution of opposition which resulted in a continuation of the traditional roles, responsibilities and resources of opposition despite the shift to a multi-party political environment.
Future reform of parliamentary processes, procedures and resourcing is required to shift opposition in New Zealand from the legacy of two-party politics into its multi-party present. This thesis provides a range of prescriptions for New Zealand’s parliament to consider which would both broaden the representative nature of the opposition and provide greater processes and procedures to improve the functions of the opposition in a liberal pluralist democracy.