Nau mai, haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata
Your Parliament. Your voice.
Pāremata Aotearoa — the New Zealand Parliament — makes the laws of our country in the name of everyone who calls these islands home. Watch it, question it, shape it.
The House next sits
Until the House next sits
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I tēnei rā i te Whare
Today in Parliament
This sitting week
Mātaki tōrangapū — watch democracy work
Sitting days stream live from 2:00 pm. Question time leads every sitting — the sharpest hour in New Zealand politics.
Watch live at parliament.tv
Ngā pire
Bills before the House
Every law begins as a bill — a proposal debated, scrutinised and amended in public. These are real bills before the 54th Parliament right now.
Stage
Type
Topic
Me pēhea te hanga ture
How a bill becomes law
From a first reading in the Debating Chamber to Royal assent from the Governor-General — follow the path, and see where today’s real bills stand on it.
Ngā mema pāremata
Your MPs
122 MPs serve in the 54th Parliament — 65 general electorates, 7 Māori electorates, and list MPs chosen by party vote. Find yours.
Government (National, ACT, NZ First): 67 seats · Opposition (Labour, Green, Te Pāti Māori, Independents): 55 seats
Te Whare Kōrerorero
Explore the Debating Chamber
Government sits to the Speaker’s right, Opposition to the left. Select a seat to meet its MP.
The green carpet
The Chamber’s carpet is green — a tradition inherited from the House of Commons. The mace lies on the Table whenever the House is sitting: without it, no law can be made. The Prime Minister sits four sword-lengths from the Leader of the Opposition across the aisle.
Kia whai reo koe
Have your say
Parliament belongs to the public. Petition the House, speak to a select committee, or contact the MP who represents you.
Petitions open for signatures
Anyone can petition the House of Representatives — you don’t need to be enrolled or over 18. Petitions are presented in the House and considered by a select committee.
Select committees calling for submissions
Submissions can be written, in sign language, or in person. Committees must hear from the public before recommending changes to a bill — this is where laws get better.
Toro mai ki te Pāremata
Visit Parliament
Free guided tours run every day, and the public galleries are open whenever the House sits. All are welcome — nau mai, haere mai.
Guided tours — free, every day
Walk the corridors of power with a guide: the Beehive, Parliament House, and the Debating Chamber itself.
What to see
The debating chamber, the parliamentary library’s gothic arches, the mace, and the art of the Parliamentary Collection.
Learn — Te Papakura o te Pāremata
Education experiences for schools and kura: how laws are made, how MMP works, how to be heard.
The Parliament Shop
Books, gifts and taonga inspired by Parliament — open weekdays in Parliament House.
Public galleries
Open on sitting days from 2:00 pm — watch question time from the gallery. Free, no booking needed.
Getting here
Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington — ten minutes’ walk from Wellington Station. Buses stop at the gates.
Access
Step-free entry on Molesworth Street, NZSL-interpreted tours on request, and wheelchairs available at the visitor centre.
Ngā kōrero hou