Constitutional Law, International, Politics

New Zealand Prime Minister Thrown Out OF Parliament

LPParliamentaryParties_listingAs many of you know, one of my chief focuses as an academic is the separation of powers and that I hold a robust view of legislative authority under Article I. Indeed, I view the erosion of legislative authority in the United States to be one of the most dangerous trends in our country. That is why I noticed a story out of New Zealand where the Prime Minister John Key was actually tossed out of Parliament for not adhering to the rules of the body. It was an incredible moment at a time where executive powers are being consolidated around the world. For those who still believe in equal legislative power in a tripartite system, it was a rare contemporary assertion of independent authority.

The incident occurred when the prime minister was answering a question on why he refused to apologise to charities Greenpeace, the Red Cross, and Amnesty after linking them to the Panama Papers. Speaker David Carter called for order and told Key to “resume his seat”. Key refused and continued to argued. He was then tossed out after being warned to adhere to the rules of the body.

The charities named had been the victim of an earlier scam where fraudsters used their names as a front to hide their money in foreign trusts.

By the way, the New Zealand parliament also threw out Helen Clark in 2005.

Now that is a legislative body which know not just where the Prime Minister must sit but were it stands.

12 thoughts on “New Zealand Prime Minister Thrown Out OF Parliament”

  2. Wish, the ” throwing out” could be accomplished in the U.S.
    Whoever was doing the throwing out….would be kept mighty busy.!!
    Especially , during the coming 4 years.!!!

  3. Really new zealand? Where there is no tort law because hey your arm is deemed by the govt to only be worth xx amount. Maybe this is a development…..probably not.

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  5. Elmer Fudd, I wonder which country Country Joe would use now. Afghanistan? Iraq? Yemen? Somalia? or one of the other many countries we are bombing and sending our young men and women to. Not so many in a box, but so many with prosthetic limbs.

    Is your Kiwi the bird or the resident?

  6. It is also noteworthy that NZ scored 4th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Previously, it was 2nd.

  7. New Zealand has the best mussels. and show some muscle in politics as well. Lame, I know.

  8. New Zealand is set up just like England with the Prime Minister selected from the ruling party in parliament. New Zealand has a unicameral parliament though. I have a feeling Speaker Key should not be looking for a position in this government.

  9. In a country with a population less than 5 million it would be difficult for the members of this legislative body to hide from their constituents. I applaud them for holding the line on the separation of powers.

  10. One would hope that adhering to the rule of law meant more than just sitting down when ordered to.

  11. There are some who say that Country Joe from Country Joe and The Fish, was a Kiwi.

    What is a “Kiwi”?

  12. Be the first kid on your block!
    To have your boy come home in a box.
    Cause its one, two three,
    What are fighting for?
    Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn.
    Next stop is Viet Nam.

    And its five six seven open up the Pearly Gates.
    Ain’t no time to wonder why.
    Whoopee we are all going to die.

    —

    Who wrote that?

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