Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Press Release: Conservative Party
Leader of the Conservative Party Helen Houghton said the malpractice of skipping select committees by calling “urgency” was simply arrogant.
‘This coalition government of National, NZ First and ACT has set a record for using “urgency” for 67 days – longer than any government since 2008. It has been estimated that government passed 33 bills through Parliament without a select committee – the highest since 1987 and four higher than the previous record set during John Key’s first term in 2008-11.
“Not that the previous Labour government was guilt-free”, said Helen Houghton. “The previous Labour government of the Ardern-Hipkins regime passed 28 laws without a select committee.”
Select committees are the only time the public can make input.
Insult to Democracy
“The use of urgency is arrogant and an insult to the public, to democracy and to the institution of Parliament,” said Helen Houghton. “ No wonder the public feel betrayed by politicians. Many feel submitting to a parliamentary select committee is a complete waste of time and a denial of democracy.”
Helen Houghton said in recent decades select committees in themselves had become a token nod to public consultation as politicians almost always limited individuals to just five minutes inclusive of question time.
Even with a select committee operating, bills can be passed despite being almost unanimously opposed by submitters. The Regulatory Standards Bill 2025 was passed despite 98 percent of public submissions opposed. Bodies such as the New Zealand Law Society criticised the bill as fundamentally flawed.
“How can democracy function if a government simply tramples over public opinion and democracy,” said Helen Houghton.
Helen Houghton – Democracy threat
CORANZ in its questionnaire to political parties asked about the farcical reduced speaking time allowed to select committees. Amazingly some of existing parties in parliament disagreed!
Hence the Conservative Party press release was run.
Democracy is precious. Our forefathers fought in the 2nd World War to protect democracy in the Free World.
Well spoken Conservative Party. What says the parties now in parliament who have shown disrespect – or it it contempt? – to democracy by not only reducing submitters’ times to a pittance but dodging the select committee process.
Shame on the governments from 1984 when the neo-liberal Rogernomics pirates trod over democracy to sell the public’s assets without asking permission. Shame on the Bolgers, Shipleys, Keys, Arderns and Hipkins and on todays motley crew who continued the trampling over democracy.
We chose MMP in good faith.
Most politicians wouldn’t recognise good faith if it flew up their noses.
The Conservative Party are indeed on the case & make a welcome change, as most of our other N.Z. Politicians, seemingly suffer from acute “Whorling Disease ” ? > Swimming around in circles , chucking TRIPE at each other !
“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” said Robert Hutchins, an American educational philosopher.
Apathy by people is the biggest danger and unprincipled politicians and political parties will seize the opportunity.
I agree.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States said “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.”
The culture is wrong with most countries. Roosevelt was so correct, the “president and senators” he spoke of are the equivalent of NZ’s prime minister and cabinet ministers and indeed all MPs in New Zealand’s parliament.
The prime minister and cabinet ministers are not rulers or leaders, but PUBLIC SERVANTS, serving the best interests of the people. But politicians – if allowed – don’t see it that way, unless the people remind them.
To some extent the media have fostered this wrong culture by talking of an elected government coming to “power” or of the prime minister as “a leader.”
But that’s no excuse for politicians who ride roughshod over democracy and the people and sadly we are seeing that so evident in parliament today.
When Government has to sell you something, whether it be speed cameras, Covid “vaccines”, or as as happend MMP, you can guarantee it will not be in your best intetest!
I remember the huge pitch made for MMP and just look what it has delivered – we have attack dogs like Shane Jones appointed as an MP and ultimately a Minister despite never having won a seat in an election – in fact he was unsuccessful on every occassion – the voting public rejected him.
Yet here he is, and he’s not alone. Look at the dross MMP has elevated to a status way above their ability.
Democracy stands no chance under MMP.