The Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill, also known as the 4-year Term Bill is a government bill in the New Zealand Parliament proposing that future Parliaments can meet for up to four years if certain conditions are met.
New Zealand has a unicameral legislature (the New Zealand House of Representatives) usually comprising 120 members who are elected in general elections every three years. The term of Parliament is set under section 17 of the Constitution Act 1986 as being no longer than three years. The three-year term is uncommon internationally for a lower house. Previous attempts to extend the term of Parliament to four years have been unsuccessful, with referendums proposing a longer term being defeated in 1967 and 1990. Section 17 is considered "entrenched legislation" and can only be amended if 75 per cent of the House agrees or if a simple majority of voters agree in a nationwide referendum.[2]
The Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill amends the Constitution Act 1986 and the Electoral Act 1993. The bill is designed so it only comes into force if a majority of voters support it in a referendum on the question: "Do you support the Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Act 2025 coming into force?" The bill, once enacted, will self-repeal if the referendum is lost or not held by 31 October 2031.
The amendments to the Constitution Act allow the term of Parliament to be extended from three years to four years by Proclamation of the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Proclamation can only be issued if, within three months of the new Parliament convening, the House has agreed by simple majority that the proportionality requirement is satisfied. The proportionality requirement is that only members who are not part of the Executive (ministers and parliamentary under-secretaries) are counted when proportionally determining membership of select committees. The effect is that Opposition members would generally hold majorities on committees.
The amendments to the Electoral Act allow for elections to be held at the conclusion of a four-year term and entrench the amendments to the Constitution Act.
Legislative history
First reading
The bill was introduced on 27 February 2025 in the name of Paul Goldsmith, the Minister of Justice. It was read a first time on 5 March 2025. It received support from all parties, except Te Pāti Māori. Government documents were released prior to the first reading showing that officials had reservations about the proposal for a variable length term of Parliament, describing it as "much worse than the status quo" and "constitutionally and practically problematic."[5]
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