page_title: Politics of New Zealand
section_title: Elections and party politics
hierarchical_section_title: Politics of New Zealand / Legislature / Elections and party politics
caption_attribution_description: English: Ballot for Mt Albert Electorate in 2011 New Zealand General election
context_page_description: The politics of New Zealand function within a framework of a unitary parliamentary representative democracy. The structure of government is based on the Westminster system, and the legal system is modelled on the common law of England. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy, in which Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign and head of state.
  The New Zealand Parliament holds legislative power and consists of the Queen and the House of Representatives. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General of New Zealand when not present in the country herself. Members of Parliament are elected to the House of Representatives usually every three years. The country has a multi-party system, though the dominant political parties in New Zealand have historically been the Labour Party and the National Party. Minority governments are common and typically dependent on confidence-and-supply agreements with other parties.
  Executive power in New Zealand is based on the principle that "The Queen reigns, but the government rules".
context_section_description: The first political party in New Zealand was founded in 1891, and its main rival was founded in 1909—New Zealand had a de facto two-party system from that point until the adoption of MMP in 1996. Since then New Zealand has been a multi-party system, with at least five parties elected in every election since. No party has been able to govern without support from other groups since 1996, making coalition government standard.
  Historically the two largest, and oldest, parties are the New Zealand Labour Party (centre-left, formed in 1916) and the New Zealand National Party (centre-right, formed in 1936). Other parties represented in Parliament as of 2017 are ACT New Zealand (right-wing, free-market), the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand (left-wing, environmentalist), and New Zealand First (populist). 
  Parties must register with the Electoral Commission in order to contest the party vote in an election. 
  Changes are relative to the 2014 election results; in 2015 National lost one seat and New Zealand First gained one due to the effects of the Northland by-election.
  New party
  Contested the 2014 election as part of Internet Mana, which won 1.42% of the vote.
  Total reduced to 120 as an overhang occurred in the 2014 election but did not occur this time.
  Labour and NZ First coalition government, supported by the Green Party.
caption: Ballot showing parties, 2011 general election
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